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Cost of Living Comparison Between Palo Alto, CA and Seattle, WA Cost of Living Comparison Between Palo Alto, CA and Seattle, WA

πŸ™‚ Solo nomad: Palo Alto, CA is 15.2% cheaper than Seattle, WA without rent, and 32.6% more expensive with rent.
πŸ™‚ Family of 3: Palo Alto, CA is 17.7% cheaper than Seattle, WA without rent, and 30.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.41 $25.41
$25.32 $25.32
0.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$108 $108
$118 $118
-8.35%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.55 $11.55
$14.17 $14.17
-18.49%
Cappuccino
$5.98 $5.98
$5.78 $5.78
3.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.94 $2.94
14.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.53 $2.53
$2.38 $2.38
6.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.79 $7.79
$7.79 $7.79
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$10.05 $10.05
$7.81 $7.81
28.68%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.33 $1.33
6.02%
White Bread (500g)
$5.01 $5.01
$5.04 $5.04
-0.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.19 $3.19
$5.31 $5.31
-39.92%
Eggs
$6.19 $6.19
$6.93 $6.93
-10.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$21.30 $21.30
$25.06 $25.06
-15.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.25 $15.25
$16.07 $16.07
-5.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.25 $23.25
$20.77 $20.77
11.94%
Apples (1kg)
$7.20 $7.20
$6.18 $6.18
16.50%
Banana (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.74 $2.74
-10.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.92 $4.92
$5.49 $5.49
-10.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.70 $6.70
$6.63 $6.63
1.06%
Potato (1kg)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.12 $3.12
20.19%
Onion (1kg)
$4.41 $4.41
$3.75 $3.75
17.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.80 $2.80
3.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$2.66 $2.66
8.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.33 $11.33
$11.73 $11.73
-3.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$18.87 $18.87
$15.69 $15.69
20.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.25 $2.25
$2.91 $2.91
-22.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 $3.23
$4.30 $4.30
-24.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.78 $2.78
-7.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.2 $89.2
$97.2 $97.2
-8.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.17 $4.17
$2.58 $2.58
61.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.73 $1.73
4.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.50 $29.50
$29.59 $29.59
-0.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.32 $1.32
$1.15 $1.15
14.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$29.8K $29.8K
$32.9K $32.9K
-9.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.9K $26.9K
$26.1K $26.1K
3.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$221 $221
$266 $266
-16.93%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$48.10 $48.10
$60.5 $60.5
-20.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.2 $67.2
$76.5 $76.5
-12.19%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$118 $118
$80.6 $80.6
46.82%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.78 $19.78
$39.74 $39.74
-50.23%
Cinema Ticket
$16.09 $16.09
$16.25 $16.25
-0.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,766 $2,766
$2,295 $2,295
20.55%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$45.3K $45.3K
$29.0K $29.0K
56.20%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$69.3 $69.3
-23.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.42 $43.42
$53.7 $53.7
-19.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.8 $86.8
$118 $118
-26.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$144 $144
-3.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,430 $3,430
$2,308 $2,308
48.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,188 $3,188
$1,878 $1,878
69.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,935 $5,935
$4,722 $4,722
25.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,695 $5,695
$3,566 $3,566
59.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,273 $7,273
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,114 $5,114
-
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Palo Alto, CA
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$9,608 $9,608
$6,530 $6,530
47.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.51
6.42
1.40%

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

Last update for Palo Alto, CA: January 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: January 11, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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