Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Manhattan, KS: $2,249 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
185

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

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Manhattan, KS versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Manhattan, KS versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Manhattan, KS costs roughly 41% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Manhattan, KS 67% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$25.32 $25.32

-40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$101 $101

-20.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.85 $14.85

-18.52%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$6.59 $6.59

-17.91%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$3.22 $3.22

-38.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$3.14 $3.14

-53.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$8.18 $8.18

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$8.03 $8.03

14.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.21 $1.21

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.12 $5.12

-36.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$6.30 $6.30

-0.32%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$4.90 $4.90

-8.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$19.10 $19.10

-38.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$18.50 $18.50

-52.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$23.03 $23.03

-36.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.81 $5.81

16.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.95 $1.95

11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$5.29 $5.29

9.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$6.48 $6.48

-33.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.57 $3.57

-5.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$3.15 $3.15

19.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.85 $2.85

-35.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.42 $2.42

9.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$12.75 $12.75

-24.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$14.99 $14.99

15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$4.17 $4.17

-58.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.99 $5.99

-57.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$110 $110

-44.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$2.55 $2.55

91.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.64 $1.64

16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$29.58 $29.58

16.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.42 $1.42

-35.21%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$35.7K $35.7K

-1.05%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

0.10%

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

$144 $144

$299 $299

-51.69%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$70.8 $70.8

-32.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$88.3 $88.3

-24.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$79.5 $79.5

-6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$17.12 $17.12

-13.26%

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

$833 $833

$3,013 $3,013

-72.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$31.6K $31.6K

-63.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$77.2 $77.2

-37.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$55.1 $55.1

-36.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$126 $126

-28.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$163 $163

-29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$2,464 $2,464

-62.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$1,956 $1,956

-48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$4,711 $4,711

-69.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$3,550 $3,550

-59.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$7,346 $7,346

-81.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$5,048 $5,048

-72.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$6,286 $6,286

-45.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.85

-7.59%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 95.9% $958

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 34.1% $138

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 46.1% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 77.3% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 46.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 9.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 76.7% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $927 in Manhattan, KS and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $81.0 in Manhattan, KS vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $542 per month, with Manhattan, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

00:52 12:52 AM

2 h behind Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Manhattan, KS Seattle, WA 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manhattan, KS is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 69% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $927 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $833 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manhattan, KS but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Manhattan, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manhattan, KS is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Manhattan, KS and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Manhattan, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.