Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey Park, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterey Park, CA: $2,869 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index
184

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

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Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Monterey Park, CA $2,869
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,188 in Monterey Park, CA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Monterey Park, CA $4,188
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,507 in Monterey Park, CA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Monterey Park, CA $5,507
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Monterey Park, CA costs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterey Park, CA 112% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.99 $25.99

$24.52 $24.52

6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$98.2 $98.2

-18.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$14.79 $14.79

1.15%

Cappuccino

$6.09 $6.09

$6.52 $6.52

-6.60%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$3.23 $3.23

-5.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.17 $3.17

-16.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.03 $8.03

23.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.21 $1.21

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.14 $5.14

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$6.05 $6.05

-21.98%

Eggs

$5.60 $5.60

$4.88 $4.88

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$19.18 $19.18

-40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.91 $8.91

$18.91 $18.91

-52.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 $19.39

$23.31 $23.31

-16.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$5.99 $5.99

-23.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.93 $1.93

15.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$5.25 $5.25

-22.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$6.57 $6.57

-14.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.62 $3.62

-8.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.31 $3.31

-12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.78 $2.78

-28.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.51 $2.51

-2.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.80 $11.80

$12.18 $12.18

-3.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.83 $14.83

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$4.22 $4.22

-42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$5.77 $5.77

-53.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.95 $2.95

-24.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.65 $2.65

14.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.72 $1.72

9.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.72 $32.72

$29.72 $29.72

10.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.9K $35.9K

-18.08%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.84%

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

$269 $269

$302 $302

-10.83%

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

$87.3 $87.3

$70.1 $70.1

24.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.1 $80.1

$85.3 $85.3

-6.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.12 $42.12

$77.8 $77.8

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$18.11 $18.11

$17.84 $17.84

1.51%

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

$1,202 $1,202

$2,973 $2,973

-59.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$31.3K $31.3K

3.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.8 $63.8

$76.6 $76.6

-16.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$54.1 $54.1

0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$128 $128

-6.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$214 $214

$164 $164

30.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$2,445 $2,445

-34.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,947 $1,947

-33.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,556 $2,556

$4,744 $4,744

-46.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 $2,133

$3,469 $3,469

-38.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,371 $2,371

$7,367 $7,367

-67.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$5,127 $5,127

-56.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 $1,585

$6,506 $6,506

-75.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.89

-8.42%

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

Last update for Monterey Park, 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

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 45.3%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 49.8% $647

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey Park, CA

$437 15.2%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 4.7% $21

Groceries & Markets

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 29.5% $124

Eating Out

Monterey Park, CA

$408 14.2%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 2% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey Park, CA

$203 7.1%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 6.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey Park, CA

$78 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 44.9% $35

Getting Around

Monterey Park, CA

$21 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 505% $108

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 $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 310% 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: $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $546 per month, with Monterey Park, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

Same time as Monterey Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,269

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

Monterey Park, CA Seattle, WA 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterey Park, 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

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

Monterey Park, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterey Park, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 310% 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: $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,869 per month in Monterey Park, CA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Monterey Park, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterey Park, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Monterey Park, CA 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 Monterey Park, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.