Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia, CA: $2,704 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index
184

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

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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,704 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $4,049 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $5,394 per month in Monrovia, CA vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
Seattle, WA $7,489

Monrovia, CA is about 29% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Monrovia, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Monrovia, CA by 100%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$24.52 $24.52

1.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.2 $98.2

3.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$14.79 $14.79

-21.16%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$6.52 $6.52

-13.96%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.23 $3.23

-17.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.17 $3.17

-37.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$7.85 $7.85

4.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$8.03 $8.03

19.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.21 $1.21

-2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.14 $5.14

13.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$6.05 $6.05

-30.08%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.88 $4.88

1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$19.18 $19.18

-35.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$18.91 $18.91

10.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$23.31 $23.31

-39.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$5.99 $5.99

-6.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.93 $1.93

-11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$5.25 $5.25

-18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$6.57 $6.57

-3.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.62 $3.62

0.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.31 $3.31

5.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.78 $2.78

-13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.51 $2.51

-9.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$12.18 $12.18

-4.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.83 $14.83

-0.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.22 $4.22

-58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$5.77 $5.77

-46.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.95 $2.95

-33.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.65 $2.65

73.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.72 $1.72

5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$29.72 $29.72

19.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.49 $1.49

7.38%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$35.9K $35.9K

-22.77%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.22%

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

$218 $218

$302 $302

-27.74%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$70.1 $70.1

3.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$85.3 $85.3

-16.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$77.8 $77.8

-49.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$17.84 $17.84

-33.91%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$2,973 $2,973

-34.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

36.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$76.6 $76.6

-4.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$54.1 $54.1

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$128 $128

-37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$164 $164

4.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$2,445 $2,445

-35.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$1,947 $1,947

-36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$4,744 $4,744

-47.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$3,469 $3,469

-41.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$7,367 $7,367

-65.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$5,127 $5,127

-54.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.89

-3.63%

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

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 57.6% $711

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 14.3% $68

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 26.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 15.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 81% $51

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 502% $108

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,577 in Monrovia, CA versus $2,445 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 $101 in Monrovia, CA versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $477 in Monrovia, CA vs $546 in Seattle, WA – so Monrovia, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

Same time as Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Monrovia, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA, $3,782 in Seattle, WA – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,056 per month in Monrovia, CA and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Monrovia, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Monrovia, CA and $98.0 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,704 in Monrovia, CA and $3,782 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 $2,704 in Monrovia, CA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Monrovia, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.