Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Abilene, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Abilene, TX: $2,314 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Abilene, TX
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Abilene, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Abilene, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Abilene, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,314 in Abilene, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Abilene, TX $2,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,215 in Abilene, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Abilene, TX $3,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,115 in Abilene, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Abilene, TX $4,115

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Abilene, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Abilene, TX 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.87 $17.87

41.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$66.2 $66.2

52.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.81 $8.81

67.54%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.52 $5.52

17.75%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.42 $2.42

32.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.87 $1.87

67.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.90 $4.90

62.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.57 $5.57

45.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.40 $2.40

120.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.68 $5.68

12.68%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.74 $3.74

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$8.68 $8.68

115.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.02 $13.02

43.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.43 $14.43

58.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.32 $3.32

82.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.03 $1.03

89.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.78 $4.78

15.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.41 $5.41

20.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.25 $4.25

-17.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.58 $3.58

-8.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.42 $2.42

15.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.95 $1.95

32.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.91 $8.91

40.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.28 $11.28

31.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.61 $2.61

60.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.88 $3.88

49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.72 $1.72

77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$53.1 $53.1

99.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.20 $15.20

98.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.90 $0.90

56.67%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$22.9K $22.9K

60.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.66%

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

$308 $308

$239 $239

28.63%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$57.6 $57.6

20.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$63.0 $63.0

36.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$16.81 $16.81

354.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.08 $12.08

49.17%

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

$2,746 $2,746

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$43.00 $43.00

84.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$20.34 $20.34

167.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$62.7 $62.7

102.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$65.8 $65.8

141.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,000 $1,000

150.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,106 $1,106

75.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,309 $1,309

291.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,537 $1,537

130.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,109 $2,109

249.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,716 $1,716

191.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,448 $3,448

87.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.49

6.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Abilene, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Abilene, TX

$1.1K 47.8% 42.9% $832

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Abilene, TX

$372 16.1% 32% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Abilene, TX

$360 15.6% 22.3% $103

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Abilene, TX

$288 12.5% 29% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Abilene, TX

$86 3.7% 54.2% $102

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Abilene, TX

$60 * 2.6% 53.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Abilene, TX

$41 1.8% 63.6% $72

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $66 in Abilene, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $372 per month, with Abilene, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Abilene, TX

🕒 Local time

09:46 9:46 AM

11:46 11:46 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

125,182

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Abilene, TX 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Abilene, TX

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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

Seattle, WA vs Abilene, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,314 in Abilene, TX, so Abilene, TX is about 39% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,000 in Abilene, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Abilene, TX – a meal for two runs $66 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Abilene, TX runs roughly 50% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,314 in Abilene, TX versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Abilene, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Abilene, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Abilene, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.