Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Gatos, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

234

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

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

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,912

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Gatos, 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 Gatos, CA and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,912 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $4,912
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $7,194 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $7,194
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $9,475 per month in Los Gatos, CA vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Los Gatos, CA $9,475
Seattle, WA $7,592

Los Gatos, CA costs about 30% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Los Gatos, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Los Gatos, CA by 261%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.58 $24.58

$25.30 $25.30

-2.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 $99.7

$101 $101

-1.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.78 $14.78

$14.76 $14.76

0.14%

Cappuccino

$6.19 $6.19

$6.50 $6.50

-4.77%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.21 $3.21

-8.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.14 $3.14

-19.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.97 $7.97

1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.13 $8.13

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.17 $1.17

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.29 $4.29

$5.30 $5.30

-19.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$6.40 $6.40

-24.06%

Eggs

$6.34 $6.34

$5.06 $5.06

25.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.16 $24.16

$18.71 $18.71

29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.54 $11.54

$18.72 $18.72

-38.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$22.88 $22.88

-43.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$6.06 $6.06

-7.10%

Banana (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.95 $1.95

62.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$5.51 $5.51

-12.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.52 $6.52

-9.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.49 $3.49

-5.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.29 $3.29

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.80 $2.80

6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.58 $2.58

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.49 $12.49

-6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 $12.92

$14.87 $14.87

-13.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.19 $4.19

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$5.80 $5.80

-56.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.58 $2.58

58.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.64 $1.64

211.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.41 $1.41

12.06%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-26.14%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.17%

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

$379 $379

$308 $308

23.09%

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

$59.1 $59.1

$69.2 $69.2

-14.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.3 $63.3

$86.1 $86.1

-26.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$145 $145

$76.5 $76.5

90.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$16.91 $16.91

$18.02 $18.02

-6.16%

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

$2,133 $2,133

$2,746 $2,746

-22.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

-21.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 $52.4

$79.2 $79.2

-33.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.75 $40.75

$54.3 $54.3

-24.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 $75.2

$127 $127

-40.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 $58.8

$159 $159

-62.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,470 $3,470

$2,508 $2,508

38.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,237 $3,237

$1,938 $1,938

67.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,893 $5,893

$3,542 $3,542

66.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,480 $3,480

$7,374 $7,374

-52.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.89

-2.90%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: October 24, 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 Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.9%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 40.1% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$501 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 7.6% $38

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$470 9.6%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 16.5% $77

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$394 8%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 3.2% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$179 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 37.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 84.6% $86

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$30 * 0.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 335% $99

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,470 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $100 in Los Gatos, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $470 vs $547 – making Los Gatos, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

Same time as Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Los Gatos, CA Seattle, WA 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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

Los Gatos, CA costs about 30% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,369 per month in Los Gatos, CA and $5,677 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $3,470 in Los Gatos, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That makes Seattle, WA about 23% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Los Gatos, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,785 in Seattle, WA to $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.