Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Alameda, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,107 in Alameda, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Alameda, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
200

Cost of Living Index in Alameda, CA
Learn more

Alameda, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Alameda, CA

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 Alameda, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,107 in Alameda, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Alameda, CA $4,107

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,120 in Alameda, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Alameda, CA $6,120

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,134 in Alameda, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Alameda, CA $8,134

Seattle, WA is about 8% cheaper than Alameda, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Seattle, WA and Alameda, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Alameda, CA by 202%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$26.92 $26.92

-6.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.94 $14.94

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.79 $5.79

12.26%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.04 $3.04

5.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.63 $2.63

19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$9.08 $9.08

-12.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.98 $9.98

-18.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.20 $1.20

-2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.58 $3.58

48.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.98 $4.98

28.51%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.11 $5.11

-0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.99 $10.99

70.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.21 $15.21

23.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.36 $22.36

2.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.24 $6.24

-2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.75 $2.75

-29.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.39 $4.39

25.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.76 $6.76

-3.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.90 $2.90

20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.32 $3.32

-0.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.55 $1.55

80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.62 $2.62

-1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.86 $11.86

5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.48 $14.48

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.77 $1.77

136.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.55 $3.55

63.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.92 $2.92

4.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$99.4 $99.4

6.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.10 $4.10

-37.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.11 $15.11

99.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.51 $1.51

-6.62%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.1K $35.1K

4.97%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.43%

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

$308 $308

$134 $134

129.75%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$53.4 $53.4

29.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$75.6 $75.6

13.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$148 $148

-48.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$31.56 $31.56

12.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.06 $17.06

5.63%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,462 $2,462

11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$19.7K $19.7K

55.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$43.07 $43.07

83.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$36.79 $36.79

47.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.4 $81.4

55.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$141 $141

12.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,262 $2,262

10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,522 $2,522

-23.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,580 $4,580

11.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,439 $4,439

-20.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$7,362 $7,362

0.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$5,445 $5,445

-8.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,610 $6,610

-2.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.63

3.92%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Alameda, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Alameda, CA

$2.5K 61.4% 30.1% $583

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Alameda, CA

$461 11.2% 15.7% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Alameda, CA

$263 6.4% 43.2% $200

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Alameda, CA

$418 10.2% 2.8% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Alameda, CA

$136 3.3% 27.8% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Alameda, CA

$125 3.1% 3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Alameda, CA

$182 4.4% 62.2% $70

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,262 in Alameda, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $101 in Alameda, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $461 in Alameda, CA – so Alameda, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Alameda, CA

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

77,624

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Alameda, CA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Alameda, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $4,107 in Alameda, CA – roughly 9% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,161 in Alameda, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alameda, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,262 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,107 in Alameda, CA. That’s a gap of about 9%.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,462 in Alameda, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,107 in Alameda, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $4,107 in Alameda, CA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.