Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Rosa, CA and SeaTac, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in SeaTac, WA: $3,170 a month against $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
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Santa Rosa, CA Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Rosa, CA and in SeaTac, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Rosa, CA and in SeaTac, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,442 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $3,170 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
SeaTac, WA $3,170

A couple spends around $5,030 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $4,514 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
SeaTac, WA $4,514

A family of three spends $6,617 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $5,857 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
SeaTac, WA $5,857

Santa Rosa, CA costs about 9% more than SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santa Rosa, CA and SeaTac, WA sit above the global median – Santa Rosa, CA by 153%, SeaTac, WA by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.06 $27.06

$25.05 $25.05

8.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$78.9 $78.9

14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.22 $12.22

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.68 $5.68

16.20%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.14 $3.14

2.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.08 $2.08

51.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.93 $3.93

100.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$6.04 $6.04

47.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.14 $1.14

20.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.21 $4.21

9.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.39 $3.39

40.12%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$7.20 $7.20

-24.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.62 $22.62

$14.94 $14.94

51.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.86 $13.86

10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 $20.99

$17.97 $17.97

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$5.63 $5.63

8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.74 $1.74

43.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.18 $4.18

61.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$4.66 $4.66

46.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.23 $2.23

76.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.93 $2.93

18.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.75 $1.75

74.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.18 $3.18

-38.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.19 $12.19

-3.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$18.20 $18.20

-34.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.70 $1.70

27.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.04 $2.04

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$2.69 $2.69

-43.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$88.9 $88.9

-43.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.56 $2.56

53.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.70 $1.70

14.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$29.54 $29.54

-0.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.45 $1.45

2.76%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.6K $28.6K

-3.84%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.34%

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

$196 $196

$232 $232

-15.62%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$63.6 $63.6

-22.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$84.6 $84.6

-15.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 $68.2

$34.33 $34.33

98.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 $13.99

$19.73 $19.73

-29.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$17.36 $17.36

-17.80%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$2,083 $2,083

-39.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$31.6K $31.6K

26.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$48.65 $48.65

3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 $36.55

$22.60 $22.60

61.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$62.7 $62.7

67.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$45.68 $45.68

177.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$2,208 $2,208

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,722 $1,722

9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$3,873 $3,873

-7.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$2,683 $2,683

15.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 $5,019

$4,064 $4,064

23.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 $4,908

$3,821 $3,821

28.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 $4,740

$6,075 $6,075

-21.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.55

-1.37%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55%

SeaTac, WA

$1.7K 54.3% 9% $171

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7%

SeaTac, WA

$449 14.2% 11.5% $58

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1%

SeaTac, WA

$358 11.3% 13.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2%

SeaTac, WA

$380 12% 20.1% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2%

SeaTac, WA

$81 2.6% 43.7% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8%

SeaTac, WA

$69 2.2% 28.6% $28

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2%

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5% 58.2% $41

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,208 in SeaTac, 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 28% higher in SeaTac, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $79 in SeaTac, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $507 vs $449 – making SeaTac, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

Same time as Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

31,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santa Rosa, CA SeaTac, WA 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Rosa, CA
SeaTac, 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 Rosa, CA vs SeaTac, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa, CA costs about 9% more than SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,164 per month in Santa Rosa, CA and $4,755 in SeaTac, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA and $2,208 in SeaTac, WA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA and $3,170 in SeaTac, WA. That makes SeaTac, WA about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Santa Rosa, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA and $3,170 in SeaTac, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Santa Rosa, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,170 in SeaTac, WA to $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.