Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Leandro, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Leandro, CA: $3,483 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in San Leandro, CA
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San Leandro, CA Living Index
184

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

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San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,483 in San Leandro, CA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

San Leandro, CA $3,483
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,059 in San Leandro, CA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

San Leandro, CA $5,059
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,634 in San Leandro, CA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

San Leandro, CA $6,634
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in San Leandro, CA costs roughly 8% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Leandro, CA 156% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 $25.50

$25.30 $25.30

0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$101 $101

10.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.84 $14.84

$14.76 $14.76

0.54%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$6.50 $6.50

-6.15%

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

$3.21 $3.21

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.14 $3.14

-11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.97 $7.97

-0.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.13 $8.13

8.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.17 $1.17

50.43%

White Bread (500g)

$5.24 $5.24

$5.30 $5.30

-1.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$6.40 $6.40

-24.06%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$5.06 $5.06

15.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$18.71 $18.71

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$18.72 $18.72

-30.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.80 $22.80

$22.88 $22.88

-0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$6.06 $6.06

0.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.95 $1.95

-21.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.51 $5.51

-19.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$6.52 $6.52

-0.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.49 $3.49

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.29 $3.29

-17.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.80 $2.80

-27.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.58 $2.58

-22.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.49 $12.49

-4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 $14.36

$14.87 $14.87

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$4.19 $4.19

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$5.80 $5.80

-36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.05 $3.05

86.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 $97.6

$106 $106

-7.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.58 $2.58

63.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.64 $1.64

21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.81 $38.81

$30.12 $30.12

28.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.41 $1.41

10.64%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-26.04%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.49%

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

$240 $240

$308 $308

-21.86%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$69.2 $69.2

-26.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$86.1 $86.1

-10.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 $49.58

$76.5 $76.5

-35.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 $16.03

$18.02 $18.02

-11.04%

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

$2,923 $2,923

$2,746 $2,746

6.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$30.6K $30.6K

40.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$79.2 $79.2

-16.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 $39.43

$54.3 $54.3

-27.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$127 $127

-30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$159 $159

-24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 $2,357

$2,508 $2,508

-6.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,938 $1,938

-2.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 $3,652

$5,117 $5,117

-28.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 $2,985

$3,542 $3,542

-15.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 $5,091

$7,374 $7,374

-30.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,028 $4,028

$5,002 $5,002

-19.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,390 $5,390

$6,470 $6,470

-16.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.89

-1.89%

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

Last update for San Leandro, CA: 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

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 3% $57

Groceries & Markets

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 15.7% $74

Eating Out

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 0.8% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 25.7% $95

Clothing & Footwear

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 33.2% $47

Getting Around

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 4.2% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 37.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,357 in San Leandro, CA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $111 in San Leandro, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $473 vs $547, with San Leandro, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

14:21 2:21 PM

Same time as San Leandro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,815

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Leandro, CA Seattle, WA 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Leandro, CA
Seattle, WA

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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

San Leandro, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,483 in San Leandro, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so San Leandro, CA is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in San Leandro, CA. 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: $2,357 in San Leandro, CA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $111 in San Leandro, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Leandro, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – San Leandro, CA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.