Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,758 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
185

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

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Santa Cruz

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,758

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,758 per month in Santa Cruz vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Cruz $1,758
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $2,778 per month in Santa Cruz vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Cruz $2,778
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $3,798 per month in Santa Cruz vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Cruz $3,798
Seattle, WA $7,603

Santa Cruz is about 54% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santa Cruz and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Santa Cruz by 30%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.29 ₡5,523

$25.32 $25.32

-51.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$101 $101

-38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 ₡4,856

$14.85 $14.85

-27.21%

Cappuccino

$4.58 ₡2,059

$6.59 $6.59

-30.50%

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

$2.20 ₡989

$3.22 $3.22

-31.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡854

$3.14 $3.14

-39.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,489

$8.18 $8.18

-59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 ₡1,958

$8.03 $8.03

-45.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.38 ₡1,070

$1.21 $1.21

96.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 ₡1,422

$5.12 $5.12

-38.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.48 ₡1,113

$6.30 $6.30

-60.63%

Eggs

$3.56 ₡1,599

$4.90 $4.90

-27.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.50 ₡4,717

$19.10 $19.10

-45.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,722

$18.50 $18.50

-43.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 ₡6,359

$23.03 $23.03

-38.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,336

$5.81 $5.81

-10.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ₡482

$1.95 $1.95

-45.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 ₡2,170

$5.29 $5.29

-8.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 ₡1,758

$6.48 $6.48

-39.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.87 ₡1,741

$3.57 $3.57

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 ₡1,636

$3.15 $3.15

15.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 ₡508

$2.85 $2.85

-60.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,383

$2.42 $2.42

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 ₡2,596

$12.75 $12.75

-54.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 ₡9,068

$14.99 $14.99

34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,294

$4.17 $4.17

-30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 ₡1,654

$5.99 $5.99

-38.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 ₡581

$3.04 $3.04

-57.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.50 ₡1,125

$2.55 $2.55

-1.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.64 $1.64

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 ₡3,864

$29.58 $29.58

-70.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 ₡702

$1.42 $1.42

9.86%

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

$22.1K ₡9.9M

$35.7K $35.7K

-38.29%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$25.6K $25.6K

35.03%

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

$94.5 ₡42.4K

$299 $299

-68.41%

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

$35.98 ₡16.2K

$70.8 $70.8

-49.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 ₡26.9K

$88.3 $88.3

-32.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.7 ₡32.2K

$79.5 $79.5

-9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$6.75 ₡3,034

$17.12 $17.12

-60.57%

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

$978 ₡439.3K

$3,013 $3,013

-67.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K ₡7.7M

$31.6K $31.6K

-45.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 ₡32.4K

$77.2 $77.2

-6.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 ₡25.2K

$55.1 $55.1

1.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$126 $126

2.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.1K

$163 $163

-19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 ₡409.8K

$2,464 $2,464

-63.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$665 ₡298.7K

$1,956 $1,956

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,689 ₡759.1K

$4,711 $4,711

-64.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,310 ₡588.5K

$3,550 $3,550

-63.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.85

25.84%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: 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 Cruz

$665 37.8%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 194% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$400 22.8%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 35.4% $142

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$227 12.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 79.7% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$190 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 141% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$175 10%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 8.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$85 4.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 33.5% $29

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$15 * 0.9%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 760% $118

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $912 in Santa Cruz 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Santa Cruz versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $400 vs $542 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Cruz

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:11 5:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

1 h behind Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,665

737,015

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

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Santa Cruz Seattle, WA 5,390 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Cruz
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $1,758 in Santa Cruz, $3,800 in Seattle, WA – roughly 116% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,637 per month in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz, 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 $1,758 in Santa Cruz and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 116%.

Kindergarten costs $978 per month in Santa Cruz and $3,013 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,758, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Santa Cruz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,758 in Santa Cruz to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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