Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Monica, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

214

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

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

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $6,581 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $8,732 per month in Santa Monica, CA vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Seattle, WA $7,603

Santa Monica, CA costs about 17% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santa Monica, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Santa Monica, CA by 228%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$25.32 $25.32

5.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$101 $101

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.85 $14.85

0.20%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$6.59 $6.59

-10.02%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.22 $3.22

1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.14 $3.14

-23.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.18 $8.18

-0.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$8.03 $8.03

23.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.21 $1.21

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$5.12 $5.12

-10.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$6.30 $6.30

-26.19%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$4.90 $4.90

16.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$19.10 $19.10

-17.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$18.50 $18.50

-23.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$23.03 $23.03

-14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$5.81 $5.81

-18.07%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.95 $1.95

17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$5.29 $5.29

-25.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.48 $6.48

-15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.57 $3.57

-7.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.15 $3.15

-10.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.85 $2.85

-24.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.42 $2.42

2.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$12.75 $12.75

-9.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$14.99 $14.99

1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$4.17 $4.17

-41.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$5.99 $5.99

-48.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.04 $3.04

-17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$110 $110

-39.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.55 $2.55

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.64 $1.64

15.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$29.58 $29.58

10.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.42 $1.42

2.11%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

2.94%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

0.03%

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

$218 $218

$299 $299

-27.16%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$70.8 $70.8

-34.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$88.3 $88.3

-26.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$79.5 $79.5

-11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$35.37 $35.37

24.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$17.12 $17.12

13.08%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$3,013 $3,013

-43.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$31.6K $31.6K

2.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$77.2 $77.2

15.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$55.1 $55.1

-0.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$126 $126

-17.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$163 $163

-25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$2,464 $2,464

35.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,956 $1,956

46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$4,711 $4,711

23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,550 $3,550

42.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$7,346 $7,346

47.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$5,048 $5,048

56.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$6,286 $6,286

9.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.85

-3.36%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, CA: October 10, 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 Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 31.6% $904

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 17.3% $80

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 1.1% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 39.1% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 14% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 4% $4.4

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 48.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 10% higher in Santa Monica, 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 $118 in Santa Monica, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $462 in Santa Monica, CA vs $542 in Seattle, WA – so Santa Monica, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

Same time as Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santa Monica, CA Seattle, WA 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Santa Monica, CA is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,645 per month in Santa Monica, 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,694 per month in Santa Monica, CA and $3,013 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Santa Monica, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,430 in Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.