Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Raleigh, NC: $2,666 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
184

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

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Seattle, WA $3,744

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $5,703 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Seattle, WA $5,703

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $7,661 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Seattle, WA $7,661

Raleigh, NC is about 29% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Raleigh, NC and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Raleigh, NC by 99%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$24.56 $24.56

-3.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$99.5 $99.5

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$15.30 $15.30

-28.63%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$6.62 $6.62

-12.39%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.25 $3.25

-11.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$3.11 $3.11

-28.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$7.77 $7.77

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$7.93 $7.93

-10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.21 $1.21

-23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.94 $4.94

-22.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$6.17 $6.17

-49.76%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.96 $4.96

-5.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$19.00 $19.00

-19.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$18.69 $18.69

-47.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$23.14 $23.14

-21.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$5.93 $5.93

10.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.94 $1.94

-35.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$5.19 $5.19

-11.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$6.55 $6.55

-9.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.62 $3.62

-16.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.16 $3.16

15.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.91 $2.91

-28.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.38 $2.38

-6.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$12.36 $12.36

-22.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.02 $15.02

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$4.30 $4.30

-48.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.69 $5.69

-52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$3.05 $3.05

-54.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$109 $109

-62.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.64 $2.64

13.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.74 $1.74

11.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$30.02 $30.02

-38.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.46 $1.46

-33.56%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.7K $36.7K

-1.29%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

-2.69%

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

$193 $193

$299 $299

-35.60%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$69.7 $69.7

-18.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$90.1 $90.1

-25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$80.0 $80.0

-54.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$35.62 $35.62

-85.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$17.33 $17.33

-11.83%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$2,986 $2,986

-50.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$31.3K $31.3K

-22.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$77.7 $77.7

-31.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$54.9 $54.9

7.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$126 $126

-26.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$165 $165

-14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$2,407 $2,407

-27.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$1,963 $1,963

-33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$4,788 $4,788

-36.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$3,561 $3,561

-43.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$7,430 $7,430

-46.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$5,010 $5,010

-57.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$6,280 $6,280

-31.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.85

-3.50%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 51.3% $665

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 30.7% $127

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 12.6% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 44.9% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 22.1% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 71.6% $48

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 124% $73

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC versus $2,407 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 46% 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 $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $541 – making Raleigh, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

00:44 12:44 AM

3 h behind Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Raleigh, NC Seattle, WA 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Raleigh, NC, 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 $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC and $5,616 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 167% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,463 per month in Raleigh, NC and $2,986 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,666 in Raleigh, NC and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Raleigh, NC costs $2,666 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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