Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pocatello, ID and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Pocatello, ID: $1,929 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Pocatello, ID
Learn more

Pocatello, ID Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Pocatello, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$1,929

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,929 in Pocatello, ID versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Pocatello, ID $1,929
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,671 in Pocatello, ID versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Pocatello, ID $2,671
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,413 in Pocatello, ID versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Pocatello, ID $3,413
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Pocatello, ID costs roughly 49% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pocatello, ID 43% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.78 $14.78

$25.32 $25.32

-41.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 $50.4

$101 $101

-50.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$14.85 $14.85

-33.27%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$6.59 $6.59

-22.31%

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

$2.06 $2.06

$3.22 $3.22

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.14 $3.14

-47.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 $3.08

$8.18 $8.18

-62.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.03 $8.03

-39.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.21 $1.21

-33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$5.12 $5.12

-37.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$6.30 $6.30

-35.87%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$4.90 $4.90

-13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$19.10 $19.10

-54.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$18.50 $18.50

-35.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$23.03 $23.03

-26.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.81 $5.81

-29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.95 $1.95

-32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$5.29 $5.29

-29.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$6.48 $6.48

-49.85%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 $0.57

$3.57 $3.57

-84.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.15 $3.15

-21.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.85 $2.85

-34.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.42 $2.42

-20.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.98 $9.98

$12.75 $12.75

-21.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 $8.89

$14.99 $14.99

-40.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.17 $4.17

-35.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$5.99 $5.99

-43.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.55 $2.55

-3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.64 $1.64

39.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.53 $24.53

$29.58 $29.58

-17.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.42 $1.42

-31.69%

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

$37.3K $37.3K

$35.7K $35.7K

4.23%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-6.50%

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

$155 $155

$299 $299

-48.16%

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

$48.83 $48.83

$70.8 $70.8

-31.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$88.3 $88.3

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.68 $37.68

$79.5 $79.5

-52.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.25 $15.25

$35.37 $35.37

-56.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.59 $12.59

$17.12 $17.12

-26.46%

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

$481 $481

$3,013 $3,013

-84.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K $20.2K

$31.6K $31.6K

-36.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.66 $49.66

$77.2 $77.2

-35.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 $46.39

$55.1 $55.1

-15.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$126 $126

-36.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.3 $71.3

$163 $163

-56.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 $1,095

$2,464 $2,464

-55.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

$1,956 $1,956

-55.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$4,711 $4,711

-64.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$3,550 $3,550

-68.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,930 $1,930

$7,346 $7,346

-73.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,985 $1,985

$5,048 $5,048

-60.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,910 $3,910

$6,286 $6,286

-37.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.85

-5.69%

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

Last update for Pocatello, ID: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pocatello, ID

$870 45.1%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 125% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Pocatello, ID

$345 17.9%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 56.9% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pocatello, ID

$276 14.3%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 66% $182

Eating Out

Pocatello, ID

$249 12.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 63.9% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Pocatello, ID

$111 5.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 70.4% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Pocatello, ID

$63 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 81% $51

Getting Around

Pocatello, ID

$14 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 860% $119

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 $1,095 in Pocatello, ID and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 61% 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: $50.0 in Pocatello, ID vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $542 per month, with Pocatello, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pocatello, ID

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:18 12:18 PM

11:18 11:18 AM

1 h behind Pocatello, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,320

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pocatello, ID Seattle, WA 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pocatello, ID
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

Pocatello, ID vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pocatello, ID is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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: $1,095 in Pocatello, ID versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $481 in Pocatello, ID versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Pocatello, ID – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,929 in Pocatello, ID versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Pocatello, ID but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Pocatello, ID the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Pocatello, ID is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Pocatello, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.