Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, MO and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,184 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Saint Charles, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,184
/mo nomad
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,782
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

  • Saint Charles, MO $2,184
  • Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in Saint Charles, MO versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

  • Saint Charles, MO $3,474
  • Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,763 in Saint Charles, MO versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

  • Saint Charles, MO $4,763
  • Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Saint Charles, MO costs roughly 42% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Charles, MO 61% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.80 $14.80
$24.52 $24.52
-39.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$60.0 $60.0
$98.2 $98.2
-38.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.83 $11.83
$14.79 $14.79
-20.01%
Cappuccino
$4.84 $4.84
$6.52 $6.52
-25.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$3.23 $3.23
-19.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 $1.85
$3.17 $3.17
-41.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 $5.06
$7.85 $7.85
-35.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 $6.15
$8.03 $8.03
-23.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.75 $0.75
$1.21 $1.21
-38.02%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 $2.60
$5.14 $5.14
-49.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.27 $6.27
$6.05 $6.05
3.64%
Eggs
$3.12 $3.12
$4.88 $4.88
-36.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.38 $9.38
$19.18 $19.18
-51.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.51 $6.51
$18.91 $18.91
-65.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.11 $24.11
$23.31 $23.31
3.43%
Apples (1kg)
$3.71 $3.71
$5.99 $5.99
-38.06%
Banana (1kg)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.93 $1.93
11.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$10.18 $10.18
$5.25 $5.25
93.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.12 $5.12
$6.57 $6.57
-22.07%
Potato (1kg)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.62 $3.62
-
Onion (1kg)
$3.71 $3.71
$3.31 $3.31
12.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.11 $2.11
$2.78 $2.78
-24.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$2.51 $2.51
-13.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.14 $11.14
$12.18 $12.18
-8.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.02 $12.02
$14.83 $14.83
-18.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.89 $1.89
$4.22 $4.22
-55.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$5.77 $5.77
-55.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.95 $2.95
66.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$106 $106
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.65 $2.65
15.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.72 $1.72
-1.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.89 $49.89
$29.72 $29.72
67.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$1.49 $1.49
-38.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K $27.5K
$35.9K $35.9K
-23.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.2K $26.2K
1.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$334 $334
$302 $302
10.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.0 $61.0
$70.1 $70.1
-12.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.5 $75.5
$85.3 $85.3
-11.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.26 $49.26
$77.8 $77.8
-36.72%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$34.58 $34.58
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.93 $11.93
$17.84 $17.84
-33.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$980 $980
$2,973 $2,973
-67.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$31.3K $31.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$68.9 $68.9
$76.6 $76.6
-10.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.64 $42.64
$54.1 $54.1
-21.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.6 $78.6
$128 $128
-38.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$160 $160
$164 $164
-2.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,479 $1,479
$2,445 $2,445
-39.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$790 $790
$1,947 $1,947
-59.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,970 $1,970
$4,744 $4,744
-58.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,917 $1,917
$3,469 $3,469
-44.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,367 $7,367
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$5,127 $5,127
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Charles, MO
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,223 $4,223
$6,506 $6,506
-35.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.58
6.89
-4.50%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: 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
Saint Charles, MO
$790
Seattle, WA
$1.9K 146% $1.2K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Charles, MO
$471
Seattle, WA
$457 2.9% $14
Groceries & Markets
Saint Charles, MO
$393
Seattle, WA
$546 38.8% $152
Eating Out
Saint Charles, MO
$267
Seattle, WA
$400 49.4% $132
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Charles, MO
$158
Seattle, WA
$190 20.6% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Charles, MO
$73
Seattle, WA
$114 55.2% $40
Getting Around
Saint Charles, MO
$31 *
Seattle, WA
$129 316% $98

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 $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 54% 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: $60.0 in Saint Charles, MO vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $546 per month, with Saint Charles, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🕒 Local time
18:31 6:31 PM
16:31 4:31 PM
2 h behind Saint Charles, MO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,329
737,015
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Charles, MO Seattle, WA 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Charles, MO
  • 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
Saint Charles, MO vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saint Charles, MO and in Seattle, WA?
Saint Charles, MO and Seattle, WA differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($2,184 vs $3,782 including rent). Saint Charles, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 54% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Saint Charles, MO and in Seattle, WA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO 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 grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Saint Charles, MO or Seattle, WA?
All in, you'll spend $2,184 per month in Saint Charles, MO versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Saint Charles, MO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Saint Charles, MO and Seattle, WA?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Saint Charles, MO or Seattle, WA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Saint Charles, MO and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Saint Charles, MO or Seattle, WA?
Expats usually find Saint Charles, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Saint Charles, MO vs other spots: cost of living compared

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