Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Springs, WY and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Springs, WY: $2,444 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rock Springs, WY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,444
/mo nomad
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,444 in Rock Springs, WY versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

  • Rock Springs, WY $2,444
  • Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,553 in Rock Springs, WY versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

  • Rock Springs, WY $3,553
  • Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,662 in Rock Springs, WY versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

  • Rock Springs, WY $4,662
  • Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Rock Springs, WY costs roughly 35% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rock Springs, WY 80% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.73 $17.73
$24.52 $24.52
-27.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$73.2 $73.2
$98.2 $98.2
-25.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.81 $9.81
$14.79 $14.79
-33.67%
Cappuccino
$4.97 $4.97
$6.52 $6.52
-23.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.30 $2.30
$3.23 $3.23
-28.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 $1.65
$3.17 $3.17
-47.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 $4.90
$7.85 $7.85
-37.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.84 $5.84
$8.03 $8.03
-27.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.21 $1.21
-27.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.95 $3.95
$5.14 $5.14
-23.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.80 $1.80
$6.05 $6.05
-70.25%
Eggs
$2.95 $2.95
$4.88 $4.88
-39.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.90 $10.90
$19.18 $19.18
-43.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.96 $9.96
$18.91 $18.91
-47.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.13 $17.13
$23.31 $23.31
-26.51%
Apples (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$5.99 $5.99
-33.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 $1.35
$1.93 $1.93
-30.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.36 $3.36
$5.25 $5.25
-36.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.88 $2.88
$6.57 $6.57
-56.16%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$3.62 $3.62
-46.69%
Onion (1kg)
$2.51 $2.51
$3.31 $3.31
-24.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.78 $2.78
-30.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.51 $2.51
-60.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.92 $8.92
$12.18 $12.18
-26.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.95 $14.95
$14.83 $14.83
0.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$4.22 $4.22
-37.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.27 $3.27
$5.77 $5.77
-43.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.72 $1.72
$2.95 $2.95
-41.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$106 $106
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.65 $2.65
-7.17%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.72 $1.72
31.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.36 $25.36
$29.72 $29.72
-14.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.49 $1.49
-32.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$35.9K $35.9K
-2.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.0K $24.0K
$26.2K $26.2K
-8.58%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$197 $197
$302 $302
-34.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.10 $44.10
$70.1 $70.1
-37.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$79.8 $79.8
$85.3 $85.3
-6.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.29 $42.29
$77.8 $77.8
-45.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.58 $34.58
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.05 $15.05
$17.84 $17.84
-15.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,294 $1,294
$2,973 $2,973
-56.46%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.5K $20.5K
$31.3K $31.3K
-34.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.17 $49.17
$76.6 $76.6
-35.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.34 $46.34
$54.1 $54.1
-14.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.3 $81.3
$128 $128
-36.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 $106
$164 $164
-35.32%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$791 $791
$2,445 $2,445
-67.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,283 $1,283
$1,947 $1,947
-34.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,519 $2,519
$4,744 $4,744
-46.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,113 $2,113
$3,469 $3,469
-39.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,563 $1,563
$7,367 $7,367
-78.78%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,608 $1,608
$5,127 $5,127
-68.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rock Springs, WY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$6,506 $6,506
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.46
6.89
-6.24%

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

Last update for Rock Springs, WY: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rock Springs, WY
$1.3K
Seattle, WA
$1.9K 51.8% $664
Groceries & Markets
Rock Springs, WY
$337
Seattle, WA
$546 61.9% $209
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rock Springs, WY
$321
Seattle, WA
$457 42.4% $136
Eating Out
Rock Springs, WY
$283
Seattle, WA
$400 41.2% $117
Clothing & Footwear
Rock Springs, WY
$127
Seattle, WA
$190 49.5% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Rock Springs, WY
$72
Seattle, WA
$114 56.8% $41
Getting Around
Rock Springs, WY
$21 *
Seattle, WA
$129 525% $109

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 $791 in Rock Springs, WY and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $73.0 in Rock Springs, WY vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $546 per month, with Rock Springs, WY cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Rock Springs, WY
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🕒 Local time
21:40 9:40 PM
20:40 8:40 PM
1 h behind Rock Springs, WY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
22,105
737,015
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rock Springs, WY Seattle, WA 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rock Springs, WY
  • 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
Rock Springs, WY vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seattle, WA cheaper than Rock Springs, WY?
Rock Springs, WY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $3,667 in Rock Springs, WY and $5,673 in Seattle, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Rock Springs, WY and Seattle, WA?
Rent for a central apartment: $791 in Rock Springs, WY versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,294 in Rock Springs, WY versus $2,973 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Rock Springs, WY or in Seattle, WA?
Dining out is cheaper in Rock Springs, WY – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Rock Springs, WY or in Seattle, WA?
At $2,444 in Rock Springs, WY versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rock Springs, WY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Rock Springs, WY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Rock Springs, WY or Seattle, WA more family-friendly?
For families, Rock Springs, WY 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Rock Springs, WY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Rock Springs, WY vs other spots: cost of living compared

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