Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport Beach, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Newport Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

248

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index
184

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

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Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,160

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,160 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $5,160
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $7,319 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $7,319
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $9,477 per month in Newport Beach, CA vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Newport Beach, CA $9,477
Seattle, WA $7,592

Newport Beach, CA costs about 36% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Newport Beach, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Newport Beach, CA by 279%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.79 $24.79

$25.30 $25.30

-2.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.1 $98.1

$101 $101

-2.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$14.76 $14.76

0.68%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$6.50 $6.50

-12.00%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.21 $3.21

-5.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.14 $3.14

-23.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.31 $7.31

$7.97 $7.97

-8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.54 $9.54

$8.13 $8.13

17.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.17 $1.17

4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$5.67 $5.67

$5.30 $5.30

6.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$6.40 $6.40

-34.06%

Eggs

$5.12 $5.12

$5.06 $5.06

1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$18.71 $18.71

-34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.71 $8.71

$18.72 $18.72

-53.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$22.88 $22.88

-38.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$6.06 $6.06

-24.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.95 $1.95

-12.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$5.51 $5.51

-28.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$6.52 $6.52

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.49 $3.49

3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.29 $3.29

-6.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.80 $2.80

-24.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.58 $2.58

-11.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$12.49 $12.49

-6.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.87 $14.87

1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$4.19 $4.19

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$5.80 $5.80

-46.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.58 $2.58

78.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.64 $1.64

10.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.58 $36.58

$30.12 $30.12

21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.41 $1.41

8.51%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.46%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.62%

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

$217 $217

$308 $308

-29.32%

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

$80.8 $80.8

$69.2 $69.2

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$86.1 $86.1

-20.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$117 $117

$76.5 $76.5

53.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.41 $28.41

$35.50 $35.50

-19.97%

Cinema Ticket

$20.06 $20.06

$18.02 $18.02

11.32%

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

$1,746 $1,746

$2,746 $2,746

-36.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$30.6K $30.6K

19.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 $62.3

$79.2 $79.2

-21.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.38 $41.38

$54.3 $54.3

-23.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 $79.4

$127 $127

-37.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$159 $159

-34.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,338 $4,338

$2,508 $2,508

72.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,700 $3,700

$1,938 $1,938

90.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,186 $7,186

$5,117 $5,117

40.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,170 $6,170

$3,542 $3,542

74.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.2K $16.2K

$7,374 $7,374

119.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$5,002 $5,002

219.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,237 $6,237

$6,470 $6,470

-3.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.89

-6.39%

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

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 47.6% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Newport Beach, CA

$404 7.8%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 35.3% $143

Eating Out

Newport Beach, CA

$389 7.5%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 4.5% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 26.1% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 28.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Newport Beach, CA

$129 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 46% $59

Getting Around

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 841% $115

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA versus $2,508 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.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Newport Beach, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $404 vs $547 – making Newport Beach, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Newport Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,186

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Newport Beach, CA Seattle, WA 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Newport Beach, CA
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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

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

Yes – Newport Beach, CA is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,740 per month in Newport Beach, CA and $5,677 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That makes Seattle, WA about 27% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,746 per month in Newport Beach, CA and $2,746 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA and $3,785 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 $3,785 in Seattle, WA to $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.