Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Oakland, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,707 and $3,800 a month, rent and utilities included.

180

Cost of Living Index in Oakland, CA
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Oakland, CA Living Index
185

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

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Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,707

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,707 in Oakland, CA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Oakland, CA $3,707
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,712 in Oakland, CA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Oakland, CA $5,712
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,717 in Oakland, CA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Oakland, CA $7,717
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Oakland, CA costs roughly 2% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oakland, CA 175% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.53 $24.53

$25.32 $25.32

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$101 $101

19.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.23 $12.23

$14.85 $14.85

-17.64%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$6.59 $6.59

-15.33%

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

$3.52 $3.52

$3.22 $3.22

9.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.14 $3.14

-22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.18 $8.18

-4.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$8.03 $8.03

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.21 $1.21

17.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.12 $5.12

-4.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.27 $8.27

$6.30 $6.30

31.27%

Eggs

$6.21 $6.21

$4.90 $4.90

26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.99 $25.99

$19.10 $19.10

36.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$18.50 $18.50

-2.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.80 $22.80

$23.03 $23.03

-1.00%

Apples (1kg)

$7.71 $7.71

$5.81 $5.81

32.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.95 $1.95

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$5.29 $5.29

63.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$6.48 $6.48

5.40%

Potato (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.57 $3.57

43.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.15 $3.15

-4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.85 $2.85

-10.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.42 $2.42

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.75 $12.75

-7.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.80 $19.80

$14.99 $14.99

32.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$4.17 $4.17

-59.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$5.99 $5.99

-37.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.04 $3.04

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 $85.5

$110 $110

-22.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.55 $2.55

26.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.64 $1.64

48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.88 $39.88

$29.58 $29.58

34.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.42 $1.42

9.86%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.58%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.30%

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

$191 $191

$299 $299

-36.06%

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

$63.0 $63.0

$70.8 $70.8

-11.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.6 $68.6

$88.3 $88.3

-22.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 $39.48

$79.5 $79.5

-50.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.97 $12.97

$35.37 $35.37

-63.33%

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 $16.31

$17.12 $17.12

-4.73%

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

$2,772 $2,772

$3,013 $3,013

-7.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.2 $70.2

$77.2 $77.2

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.65 $48.65

$55.1 $55.1

-11.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$126 $126

-7.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 $204

$163 $163

25.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$2,464 $2,464

-3.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 $2,020

$1,956 $1,956

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,287 $4,287

$4,711 $4,711

-9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,737 $3,737

$3,550 $3,550

5.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,856 $7,856

$7,346 $7,346

6.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,839 $5,839

$5,048 $5,048

15.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,226 $5,226

$6,286 $6,286

-16.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.85

-1.17%

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

Last update for Oakland, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Oakland, CA

$2K 54.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 3.2% $64

Groceries & Markets

Oakland, CA

$604 16.3%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 10.3% $62

Eating Out

Oakland, CA

$379 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 7.8% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Oakland, CA

$323 8.7%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 42% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Oakland, CA

$197 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 4.1% $8.2

Getting Around

Oakland, CA

$113 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 17.6% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Oakland, CA

$72 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 57.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,383 in Oakland, CA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 20% 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: $122 in Oakland, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $604 vs $542 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

Same time as Oakland, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

433,031

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

Oakland, CA Seattle, WA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Oakland, 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

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

Oakland, CA and Seattle, WA differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($3,707 vs $3,800 including rent). Oakland, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $2,383 in Oakland, CA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seattle, WA pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Oakland, CA – a meal for two runs $122 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 $3,000. Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.