Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in SeaTac, WA: $3,199 a month against $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index
171

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

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SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,199

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,498

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,199 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $3,199
Santa Rosa, CA $3,498

A couple spends around $4,502 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $4,975 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $4,502
Santa Rosa, CA $4,975

A family of three spends $5,806 per month in SeaTac, WA vs $6,451 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

SeaTac, WA $5,806
Santa Rosa, CA $6,451

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

Both SeaTac, WA and Santa Rosa, CA sit above the global median – SeaTac, WA by 137%, Santa Rosa, CA by 159%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.20 $25.20

$27.30 $27.30

-7.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 $81.3

$89.0 $89.0

-8.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$12.12 $12.12

-1.57%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.45 $6.45

-13.18%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.22 $3.22

1.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.24 $3.24

-36.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$8.11 $8.11

-51.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$8.84 $8.84

-33.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.37 $1.37

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.54 $4.54

-10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.73 $4.73

-29.39%

Eggs

$7.05 $7.05

$5.31 $5.31

32.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 $14.77

$22.22 $22.22

-33.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$15.12 $15.12

-5.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.37 $17.37

$21.16 $21.16

-17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.07 $6.07

-11.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.48 $2.48

-32.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$6.97 $6.97

-38.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$6.98 $6.98

-33.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.01 $4.01

-44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.59 $3.59

-15.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.14 $3.14

-42.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.04 $2.04

55.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.28 $12.28

$12.02 $12.02

2.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$11.91 $11.91

52.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.07 $2.07

-14.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.07 $2.07

-4.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.52 $1.52

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.6 $89.6

$44.18 $44.18

102.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.96 $3.96

-35.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.88 $1.88

-9.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.11 $30.11

$28.85 $28.85

4.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.50 $1.50

-4.00%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$37.5K $37.5K

-3.45%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$27.5K $27.5K

-0.77%

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

$227 $227

$190 $190

19.51%

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

$61.7 $61.7

$48.39 $48.39

27.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$73.4 $73.4

12.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.17 $35.17

$73.5 $73.5

-52.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$13.92 $13.92

43.75%

Cinema Ticket

$17.63 $17.63

$14.78 $14.78

19.28%

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

$2,120 $2,120

$1,272 $1,272

66.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$39.2K $39.2K

-17.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$49.97 $49.97

-1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.17 $22.17

$37.00 $37.00

-40.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.4 $63.4

$106 $106

-40.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.85 $46.85

$127 $127

-63.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,292 $2,292

$2,350 $2,350

-2.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 $1,762

$1,952 $1,952

-9.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,882 $3,882

$3,529 $3,529

10.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 $2,636

$2,944 $2,944

-10.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,016 $4,016

$4,569 $4,569

-12.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,930 $3,930

$4,662 $4,662

-15.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,146 $6,146

$4,667 $4,667

31.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.46

1.39%

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

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

SeaTac, WA

$1.8K 55.1%

Santa Rosa, CA

$2K 55.8% 10.8% $190

Groceries & Markets

SeaTac, WA

$445 13.9%

Santa Rosa, CA

$508 14.5% 14% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

SeaTac, WA

$371 11.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$312 8.9% 16% $59

Eating Out

SeaTac, WA

$357 11.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$416 11.9% 16.5% $59

Getting Around

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5%

Santa Rosa, CA

$64 1.8% 42.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

SeaTac, WA

$82 2.6%

Santa Rosa, CA

$144 4.1% 76.5% $62

Sport & Entertainment

SeaTac, WA

$70 2.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$103 3% 46.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,292 in SeaTac, WA versus $2,350 in Santa Rosa, CA. 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 32% 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 $81.0 in SeaTac, WA versus $89.0 in Santa Rosa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $445 vs $508 – making SeaTac, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🕒 Local time

02:00 2:00 AM

Same time as SeaTac, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,454

174,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

SeaTac, WA
Santa Rosa, CA

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

SeaTac, WA vs Santa Rosa, CA: 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 $4,798 per month in SeaTac, WA and $5,247 in Santa Rosa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in SeaTac, WA, 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 $3,199 in SeaTac, WA and $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA. That's a gap of about 9%.

Public transport costs about 103% less in SeaTac, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,199 in SeaTac, WA and $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. SeaTac, WA costs $3,199 versus $3,498 in Santa Rosa, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with SeaTac, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Rosa, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.