Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Angeles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Los Angeles, CA and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Los Angeles, CA $4,060
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Los Angeles, CA $6,104
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Los Angeles, CA $8,148
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 198% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.02 $27.02

$25.30 $25.30

6.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$101 $101

19.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$14.76 $14.76

3.05%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$6.50 $6.50

-11.08%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.21 $3.21

18.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.14 $3.14

-14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 $7.76

$7.97 $7.97

-2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.13 $8.13

22.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.17 $1.17

10.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$5.30 $5.30

-11.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$6.40 $6.40

-28.44%

Eggs

$5.35 $5.35

$5.06 $5.06

5.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$18.71 $18.71

-39.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.16 $16.16

$18.72 $18.72

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$22.88 $22.88

-15.12%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$6.06 $6.06

-13.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.95 $1.95

19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$5.51 $5.51

-16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$6.52 $6.52

-14.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.49 $3.49

-3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.29 $3.29

-10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.80 $2.80

-30.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.99 $11.99

$12.49 $12.49

-4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.87 $14.87

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.19 $4.19

-29.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$5.80 $5.80

-53.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.05 $3.05

-43.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$106 $106

-1.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.58 $2.58

18.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.64 $1.64

14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 $32.19

$30.12 $30.12

6.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.41 $1.41

11.35%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.5K $34.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-6.28%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

1.36%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$280 $280

$308 $308

-8.89%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$69.2 $69.2

13.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$86.1 $86.1

-8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.5 $76.5

-6.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$35.50 $35.50

-65.61%

Cinema Ticket

$18.32 $18.32

$18.02 $18.02

1.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,722 $1,722

$2,746 $2,746

-37.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$30.6K $30.6K

3.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.6 $91.6

$79.2 $79.2

15.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.7 $65.7

$54.3 $54.3

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$127 $127

-7.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$210 $210

$159 $159

32.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 $2,547

$2,508 $2,508

1.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$1,938 $1,938

18.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,372 $5,372

$5,117 $5,117

4.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,158 $4,158

$3,542 $3,542

17.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,171 $7,171

$7,374 $7,374

-2.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,923 $6,923

$5,002 $5,002

38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,204 $4,204

$6,470 $6,470

-35.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.89

-0.44%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 15.5% $356

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 18.4% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 5.7% $25

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 2.3% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 13.5% $29

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 4.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 4.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $121 in Los Angeles, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $462 vs $547, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

07:12 7:12 AM

Same time as Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Los Angeles, CA Seattle, WA 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, CA
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Los Angeles, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Los Angeles, CA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Angeles, CA pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $4,060 per month in Los Angeles, CA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Seattle, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seattle, WA hard to pass up.