Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa, CA: $3,442 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 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
184

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

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Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,442 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $5,030 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $6,617 per month in Santa Rosa, CA vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
Seattle, WA $7,592

Santa Rosa, CA is about 9% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santa Rosa, CA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Santa Rosa, CA by 153%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.06 $27.06

$25.30 $25.30

6.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$101 $101

-10.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$14.76 $14.76

-17.68%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$6.50 $6.50

1.54%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.21 $3.21

0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.14 $3.14

0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$7.97 $7.97

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.13 $8.13

9.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.17 $1.17

17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$5.30 $5.30

-13.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$6.40 $6.40

-25.78%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$5.06 $5.06

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.62 $22.62

$18.71 $18.71

20.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$18.72 $18.72

-18.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 $20.99

$22.88 $22.88

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$6.06 $6.06

0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.95 $1.95

28.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.51 $5.51

22.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$6.52 $6.52

4.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.49 $3.49

12.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.29 $3.29

5.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.80 $2.80

9.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.58 $2.58

-23.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.49 $12.49

-6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$14.87 $14.87

-20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.19 $4.19

-48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.80 $5.80

-64.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$3.05 $3.05

-49.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$106 $106

-52.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.58 $2.58

52.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 $1.64

18.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$30.12 $30.12

-2.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.41 $1.41

5.67%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.26%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.47%

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

$196 $196

$308 $308

-36.33%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$69.2 $69.2

-28.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$86.1 $86.1

-16.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 $68.2

$76.5 $76.5

-10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 $13.99

$35.50 $35.50

-60.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$18.02 $18.02

-20.81%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$2,746 $2,746

-54.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

30.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$79.2 $79.2

-36.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 $36.55

$54.3 $54.3

-32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$127 $127

-17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$159 $159

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$2,508 $2,508

-6.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,938 $1,938

-2.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$5,117 $5,117

-30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$3,542 $3,542

-12.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 $5,019

$7,374 $7,374

-31.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 $4,908

$5,002 $5,002

-1.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 $4,740

$6,470 $6,470

-26.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.89

-6.24%

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 Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 2.4% $45

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 7.8% $39

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 2.1% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 46.1% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 31.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 16.3% $16

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 84.2% $59

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,508 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 36% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $91 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $507 vs $547 – making Santa Rosa, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:41 12:41 AM

Same time as Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Rosa, CA Seattle, WA 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 10% more than Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $5,677 in Seattle, 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 $2,508 in Seattle, 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 $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That’s a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Santa Rosa, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Rosa, CA costs $3,442 versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Rosa, CA. 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.