Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Louis, MO: $2,361 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Saint Louis, MO
Learn more

Saint Louis, MO Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,361 in Saint Louis, MO versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Saint Louis, MO $2,361
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,555 in Saint Louis, MO versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Saint Louis, MO $3,555
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,749 in Saint Louis, MO versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Saint Louis, MO $4,749
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Saint Louis, MO costs roughly 38% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Louis, MO 73% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 $17.81

$25.30 $25.30

-29.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$101 $101

-24.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$14.76 $14.76

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$6.50 $6.50

-22.46%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$3.21 $3.21

-25.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.14 $3.14

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 $5.72

$7.97 $7.97

-28.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$8.13 $8.13

-14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.17 $1.17

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.30 $5.30

-25.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$6.40 $6.40

-8.13%

Eggs

$3.86 $3.86

$5.06 $5.06

-23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$18.71 $18.71

-29.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.67 $15.67

$18.72 $18.72

-16.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.61 $20.61

$22.88 $22.88

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$8.44 $8.44

$6.06 $6.06

39.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.95 $1.95

21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.51 $5.51

4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.52 $6.52

-21.01%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.49 $3.49

25.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.29 $3.29

49.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.80 $2.80

3.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.58 $2.58

13.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$12.49 $12.49

-34.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$14.87 $14.87

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$4.19 $4.19

-33.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$5.80 $5.80

-43.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.05 $3.05

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.3 $78.3

$106 $106

-26.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.58 $2.58

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.64 $1.64

-3.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.27 $39.27

$30.12 $30.12

30.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.41 $1.41

-29.08%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-21.17%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.12%

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

$246 $246

$308 $308

-19.98%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$69.2 $69.2

0.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$86.1 $86.1

-12.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.83 $28.83

$76.5 $76.5

-62.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$35.50 $35.50

-43.27%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$18.02 $18.02

-23.70%

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

$1,404 $1,404

$2,746 $2,746

-48.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$30.6K $30.6K

-22.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$79.2 $79.2

-25.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.31 $39.31

$54.3 $54.3

-27.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$127 $127

-30.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$159 $159

-23.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,453 $1,453

$2,508 $2,508

-42.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$881 $881

$1,938 $1,938

-54.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,797 $1,797

$5,117 $5,117

-64.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$3,542 $3,542

-57.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,631 $1,631

$7,374 $7,374

-77.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,819 $1,819

$5,002 $5,002

-63.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$6,470 $6,470

-35.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.89

-2.47%

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

Last update for Saint Louis, MO: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Louis, MO

$881 37.3%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 120% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Saint Louis, MO

$496 21%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 10.2% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Louis, MO

$391 16.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 18.3% $71

Eating Out

Saint Louis, MO

$297 12.6%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 36.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 36.4% $50

Getting Around

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 29% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Louis, MO

$56 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 99.7% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 55% 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: $76 in Saint Louis, MO vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $496 vs $547 per month, with Saint Louis, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

17:44 5:44 PM

2 h behind Saint Louis, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

301,578

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Louis, MO Seattle, WA 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Louis, 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 Louis, MO vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Louis, MO is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Saint Louis, MO. 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: $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,404 in Saint Louis, MO versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Saint Louis, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.