Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, NH and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, NH: $2,763 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, NH
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Portsmouth, NH Living Index
184

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

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Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,763

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,763 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $2,763
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $4,026 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $4,026
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $5,289 per month in Portsmouth, NH vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Portsmouth, NH $5,289
Seattle, WA $7,592

Portsmouth, NH is about 27% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Portsmouth, NH and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Portsmouth, NH by 103%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.24 $20.24

$25.30 $25.30

-20.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$101 $101

0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.96 $8.96

$14.76 $14.76

-39.30%

Cappuccino

$4.11 $4.11

$6.50 $6.50

-36.77%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$3.21 $3.21

-17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.14 $3.14

-51.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$7.97 $7.97

-11.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.33 $7.33

$8.13 $8.13

-9.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.17 $1.17

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.30 $5.30

-3.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$6.40 $6.40

-35.63%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$5.06 $5.06

-31.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$18.71 $18.71

-40.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$18.72 $18.72

-30.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.86 $16.86

$22.88 $22.88

-26.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$6.06 $6.06

-13.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.95 $1.95

5.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.51 $5.51

-16.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$6.52 $6.52

-33.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$3.49 $3.49

-53.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$3.29 $3.29

-20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.80 $2.80

-8.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.58 $2.58

16.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 $13.49

$12.49 $12.49

8.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.13 $16.13

$14.87 $14.87

8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.19 $4.19

-58.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.80 $5.80

-64.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.58 $2.58

126.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.82 $4.82

$1.64 $1.64

193.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.41 $1.41

-35.46%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.02%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.84%

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

$192 $192

$308 $308

-37.52%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$69.2 $69.2

-23.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 $52.5

$86.1 $86.1

-39.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.45 $25.45

$76.5 $76.5

-66.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 $12.37

$18.02 $18.02

-31.35%

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

$832 $832

$2,746 $2,746

-69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.8K $33.8K

$30.6K $30.6K

10.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 $24.52

$79.2 $79.2

-69.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 $37.34

$54.3 $54.3

-31.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 $51.9

$127 $127

-59.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 $81.0

$159 $159

-49.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,145 $2,145

$2,508 $2,508

-14.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$1,938 $1,938

-19.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,185 $4,185

$5,117 $5,117

-18.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 $2,494

$3,542 $3,542

-29.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,895 $4,895

$7,374 $7,374

-33.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,078 $3,078

$5,002 $5,002

-38.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,986 $5,986

$6,470 $6,470

-7.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.89

-11.47%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 23.5% $369

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth, NH

$423 15.3%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 29.3% $124

Eating Out

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 33.2% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth, NH

$298 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 55.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth, NH

$88 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 115% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth, NH

$50 1.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 124% $62

Getting Around

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 330% $99

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,145 in Portsmouth, NH 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 8% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Portsmouth, NH versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $423 in Portsmouth, NH vs $547 in Seattle, WA – so Portsmouth, NH wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

3 h behind Portsmouth, NH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,535

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Portsmouth, NH Seattle, WA 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth, NH
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

Portsmouth, NH vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 37% more than Portsmouth, NH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,145 per month in Portsmouth, NH 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 Portsmouth, NH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,145 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That makes Portsmouth, NH about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portsmouth, NH costs $2,763 versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Portsmouth, NH. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.