Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, OR and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Medford, OR: $2,476 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Medford, OR
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Medford, OR Living Index
184

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

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Medford, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Medford, OR versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Medford, OR $2,476
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,565 in Medford, OR versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Medford, OR $3,565
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,653 in Medford, OR versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Medford, OR $4,653
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Medford, OR costs roughly 35% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medford, OR 82% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$25.30 $25.30

-21.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.8 $62.8

$101 $101

-37.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.41 $10.41

$14.76 $14.76

-29.47%

Cappuccino

$4.73 $4.73

$6.50 $6.50

-27.23%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.21 $3.21

-23.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 $1.50

$3.14 $3.14

-52.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$7.97 $7.97

-25.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 $6.29

$8.13 $8.13

-22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.30 $5.30

-40.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$6.40 $6.40

29.22%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$5.06 $5.06

-17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.31 $21.31

$18.71 $18.71

13.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.17 $10.17

$18.72 $18.72

-45.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 $15.30

$22.88 $22.88

-33.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$6.06 $6.06

-31.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.95 $1.95

-18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.51 $5.51

-3.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.52 $6.52

-21.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.49 $3.49

-18.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.29 $3.29

-11.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.80 $2.80

-5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.58 $2.58

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.49 $12.49

-11.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.38 $13.38

$14.87 $14.87

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.19 $4.19

-58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.80 $5.80

-41.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.05 $3.05

-35.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.17 $47.17

$106 $106

-55.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.58 $2.58

10.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.64 $1.64

48.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.52 $44.52

$30.12 $30.12

47.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.41 $1.41

-13.48%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$36.8K $36.8K

-22.88%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

-10.65%

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

$203 $203

$308 $308

-34.17%

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

$70.2 $70.2

$69.2 $69.2

1.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$86.1 $86.1

-9.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.33 $17.33

$76.5 $76.5

-77.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 $11.60

$18.02 $18.02

-35.63%

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

$1,022 $1,022

$2,746 $2,746

-62.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,159 $8,159

$30.6K $30.6K

-73.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$79.2 $79.2

-26.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 $38.84

$54.3 $54.3

-28.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$127 $127

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$159 $159

-29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 $1,258

$2,508 $2,508

-49.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$1,938 $1,938

-41.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 $1,944

$5,117 $5,117

-62.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,768 $1,768

$3,542 $3,542

-50.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,305 $3,305

$7,374 $7,374

-55.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$5,002 $5,002

-44.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 $3,592

$6,470 $6,470

-44.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.89

-5.08%

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

Last update for Medford, OR: 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

Medford, OR

$1.1K 45.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 71.4% $807

Groceries & Markets

Medford, OR

$436 17.6%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 25.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, OR

$350 14.2%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 32.1% $113

Eating Out

Medford, OR

$306 12.3%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 33% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, OR

$143 5.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 32.3% $46

Getting Around

Medford, OR

$70 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 84% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, OR

$41 1.6%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 178% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,258 in Medford, OR and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63 in Medford, OR vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $547 per month, with Medford, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, OR

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

15:14 3:14 PM

Same time as Medford, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medford, OR Seattle, WA 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medford, OR
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

Medford, OR vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medford, OR wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medford, OR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Medford, OR. 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: $1,258 in Medford, OR versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medford, OR – a meal for two runs $63 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Medford, OR is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Medford, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.