Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Clara, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Clara, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

203

Cost of Living Index in Santa Clara, CA
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Santa Clara, CA Living Index
185

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

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Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,189 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $4,189
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $5,899 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $5,899
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $7,608 per month in Santa Clara, CA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Clara, CA $7,608
Seattle, WA $7,603

Santa Clara, CA costs about 10% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santa Clara, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Santa Clara, CA by 210%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 $24.66

$25.32 $25.32

-2.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$101 $101

9.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$14.85 $14.85

-19.87%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$6.59 $6.59

-12.75%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$3.22 $3.22

-5.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.14 $3.14

-23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$8.18 $8.18

-5.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.03 $8.03

1.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.21 $1.21

4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.12 $5.12

-17.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$6.30 $6.30

-25.08%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$4.90 $4.90

11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$19.10 $19.10

29.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$18.50 $18.50

-35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$23.03 $23.03

-43.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.81 $5.81

-4.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.95 $1.95

21.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$5.29 $5.29

-8.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$6.48 $6.48

-10.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.57 $3.57

-8.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.15 $3.15

-2.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.85 $2.85

7.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.42 $2.42

13.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 $7.65

$12.75 $12.75

-40.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$14.99 $14.99

-12.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$4.17 $4.17

-59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$5.99 $5.99

-57.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.04 $3.04

-3.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$110 $110

-18.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.55 $2.55

28.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.64 $1.64

50.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.36 $39.36

$29.58 $29.58

33.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.42 $1.42

5.63%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$35.7K $35.7K

4.90%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.27%

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

$191 $191

$299 $299

-35.96%

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

$39.17 $39.17

$70.8 $70.8

-44.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$88.3 $88.3

-28.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$79.5 $79.5

23.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$35.37 $35.37

-60.02%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$17.12 $17.12

-5.78%

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

$2,693 $2,693

$3,013 $3,013

-10.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$31.6K $31.6K

18.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$77.2 $77.2

-34.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$55.1 $55.1

-25.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$126 $126

-39.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$163 $163

-63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 $2,946

$2,464 $2,464

19.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$1,956 $1,956

38.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,427 $4,427

$4,711 $4,711

-6.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,153 $4,153

$3,550 $3,550

17.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,978 $8,978

$7,346 $7,346

22.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,900 $8,900

$5,048 $5,048

76.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,229 $8,229

$6,286 $6,286

30.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.85

-1.17%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 27.8% $752

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 18% $83

Eating Out

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 7.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 56.1% $165

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 12.9% $17

Getting Around

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 14.1% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 84.6% $87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,946 in Santa Clara, CA versus $2,464 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 31% higher in Santa Clara, CA, 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 $111 in Santa Clara, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $459 in Santa Clara, CA vs $542 in Seattle, WA – so Santa Clara, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

Same time as Santa Clara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,365

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santa Clara, CA Seattle, WA 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Clara, CA
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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

Santa Clara, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Clara, CA is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,284 per month in Santa Clara, CA and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Seattle, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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