Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McKinney, TX and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in McKinney, TX: $2,798 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
Learn more

McKinney, TX Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,798

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,798 in McKinney, TX versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

McKinney, TX $2,798
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,731 in McKinney, TX versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

McKinney, TX $3,731
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,663 in McKinney, TX versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

McKinney, TX $4,663
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in McKinney, TX costs roughly 26% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: McKinney, TX 106% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$25.30 $25.30

-25.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.8 $60.8

$101 $101

-39.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 $11.03

$14.76 $14.76

-25.27%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$6.50 $6.50

-23.69%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$3.21 $3.21

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.14 $3.14

-40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.10 $6.10

$7.97 $7.97

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 $7.54

$8.13 $8.13

-7.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.17 $1.17

-12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.30 $5.30

-47.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$6.40 $6.40

-65.63%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$5.06 $5.06

-20.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$18.71 $18.71

-46.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$18.72 $18.72

-16.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$22.88 $22.88

-26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$6.06 $6.06

-47.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.95 $1.95

48.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$5.51 $5.51

-46.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$6.52 $6.52

-60.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.49 $3.49

-37.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$3.29 $3.29

-36.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.80 $2.80

-36.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.58 $2.58

13.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$12.49 $12.49

-19.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.45 $11.45

$14.87 $14.87

-23.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.19 $4.19

-58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.80 $5.80

-35.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.05 $3.05

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$106 $106

79.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.58 $2.58

17.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.07 $15.07

$30.12 $30.12

-49.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.41 $1.41

-37.59%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$36.8K $36.8K

-26.94%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

-7.26%

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

$205 $205

$308 $308

-33.50%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$69.2 $69.2

-15.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$86.1 $86.1

-20.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.56 $29.56

$76.5 $76.5

-61.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 $12.81

$35.50 $35.50

-63.92%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$18.02 $18.02

-33.63%

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

$1,174 $1,174

$2,746 $2,746

-57.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.3 $56.3

$79.2 $79.2

-28.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.56 $28.56

$54.3 $54.3

-47.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 $86.1

$127 $127

-32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.3 $59.3

$159 $159

-62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,675 $1,675

$2,508 $2,508

-33.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,426 $1,426

$1,938 $1,938

-26.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,638 $2,638

$5,117 $5,117

-48.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,727 $1,727

$3,542 $3,542

-51.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,318 $2,318

$7,374 $7,374

-68.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,284 $2,284

$5,002 $5,002

-54.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,808 $5,808

$6,470 $6,470

-10.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.89

-5.52%

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

Last update for McKinney, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 51%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 35.9% $512

Groceries & Markets

McKinney, TX

$372 13.3%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 46.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McKinney, TX

$331 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 39.8% $132

Eating Out

McKinney, TX

$306 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 32.8% $100

Getting Around

McKinney, TX

$206 * 7.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 37.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

McKinney, TX

$104 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 82% $85

Sport & Entertainment

McKinney, TX

$53 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 110% $59

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 $1,675 in McKinney, TX and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 11% 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: $61 in McKinney, TX vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $547 per month, with McKinney, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

10:25 10:25 AM

2 h behind McKinney, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,690

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

McKinney, TX Seattle, WA 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

McKinney, TX
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

McKinney, TX vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,798 in McKinney, TX and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so McKinney, TX is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in McKinney, TX. 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: $1,675 in McKinney, TX versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,798 per month in McKinney, TX versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – McKinney, TX is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 44% less than in McKinney, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – McKinney, TX wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.