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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,197 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,836 in Seattle, WA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,028 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $5,763 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,859 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $7,691 in Seattle, WA.

Living in Santa Cruz, CA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Cruz, CA 205% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.42 $25.42

$24.68 $24.68

3.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$99.1 $99.1

2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.27 $15.27

$15.09 $15.09

1.19%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$6.62 $6.62

-20.54%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$3.13 $3.13

9.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.98 $2.98

-28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.12 $8.12

-3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$7.85 $7.85

-8.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.17 $1.17

18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.09 $5.09

$5.20 $5.20

-2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.40 $6.40

7.19%

Eggs

$6.54 $6.54

$4.91 $4.91

33.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.20 $22.20

$21.46 $21.46

3.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$18.58 $18.58

-12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 $18.17

$23.05 $23.05

-21.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$5.79 $5.79

13.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.88 $1.88

13.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$5.38 $5.38

18.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$6.30 $6.30

-2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.80 $3.80

13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.26 $3.26

-3.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.87 $2.87

-17.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.71 $2.71

16.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$14.15 $14.15

-18.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.08 $12.08

$15.07 $15.07

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$4.36 $4.36

-51.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$5.75 $5.75

-42.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.06 $3.06

-34.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.3 $64.3

$110 $110

-41.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.57 $2.57

25.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.65 $1.65

49.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.31 $40.31

$29.88 $29.88

34.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.38 $1.38

9.42%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$36.4K $36.4K

1.59%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

3.52%

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

$384 $384

$296 $296

29.78%

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

$59.7 $59.7

$71.3 $71.3

-16.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$88.0 $88.0

-22.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.8 $76.8

$81.5 $81.5

-5.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.84 $12.84

$35.70 $35.70

-64.03%

Cinema Ticket

$16.77 $16.77

$18.33 $18.33

-8.51%

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

$2,467 $2,467

$3,067 $3,067

-19.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K $30.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

-1.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.6 $65.6

$77.0 $77.0

-14.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 $55.4

$54.0 $54.0

2.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$128 $128

-29.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$165 $165

-13.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,991 $2,991

$2,418 $2,418

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$1,931 $1,931

30.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,956 $4,956

$4,756 $4,756

4.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,223 $4,223

$3,584 $3,584

17.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,941 $7,941

$7,403 $7,403

7.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$5,056 $5,056

123.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,631 $5,631

$6,320 $6,320

-10.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.42

-3.43%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: August 31, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,991 in Santa Cruz, CA and $2,418 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Santa Cruz, CA vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $531 vs $554, with Santa Cruz, CA cheaper for home cooking.

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

Santa Cruz, CA and Seattle, WA differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($4,197 vs $3,836 including rent). Seattle, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 12% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,991 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,418 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $101 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,197 per month in Santa Cruz, CA versus $3,836 in Seattle, WA – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Seattle, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,836 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seattle, WA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.