Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Albany, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, OR: $2,968 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
140

Cost of Living Index in Albany, OR
Learn more

Albany, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Albany, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,968

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Albany, OR

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 Albany, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,968 in Albany, OR.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Albany, OR $2,968

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,301 in Albany, OR.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Albany, OR $4,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,633 in Albany, OR.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Albany, OR $5,633

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 28% more expensive than in Albany, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Albany, OR 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.20 $25.20

0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.4 $89.4

12.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.20 $13.20

11.82%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.88 $5.88

10.54%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.43 $2.43

32.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.93 $1.93

62.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.23 $8.23

-3.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.05 $8.05

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.93 $0.93

25.81%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.26 $3.26

62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.98 $1.98

223.23%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.43 $3.43

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.51 $7.51

149.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$18.61 $18.61

0.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$27.49 $27.49

-16.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.71 $6.71

-9.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.02 $2.02

-3.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.94 $5.94

-7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$8.78 $8.78

-25.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.76 $2.76

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.29 $2.29

43.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.15 $3.15

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 $2.61

-1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.51 $11.51

8.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.71 $15.71

-5.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.49 $3.49

20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.33 $5.33

8.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.84 $1.84

65.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$66.6 $66.6

59.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.05 $5.05

-48.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.86 $1.86

-11.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.47 $24.47

23.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.28 $1.28

10.16%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

7.74%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.04%

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

$308 $308

$313 $313

-1.62%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$62.7 $62.7

10.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.3 $68.3

26.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$39.56 $39.56

93.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.81 $14.81

21.67%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,662 $1,662

65.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.6K $24.6K

24.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$64.6 $64.6

22.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.63 $41.63

30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$113 $113

12.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$132 $132

20.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,539 $1,539

62.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,331 $1,331

45.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,567 $2,567

99.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,091 $2,091

69.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,046 $3,046

142.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,024 $3,024

65.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,437 $4,437

45.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.35

8.50%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Albany, OR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Albany, OR

$1.3K 44.9% 31.3% $607

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Albany, OR

$491 16.6% 10.2% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Albany, OR

$444 15% 4.2% $19

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Albany, OR

$386 13% 4.9% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Albany, OR

$158 5.3% 16.3% $31

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Albany, OR

$88 3% 31.5% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Albany, OR

$69 2.3% 38.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,539 in Albany, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $89 in Albany, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $491 per month, with Albany, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Albany, OR

🕒 Local time

23:33 11:33 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

99,224

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Albany, OR 340 km

From you

Seattle, WA
Albany, OR

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 Albany, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany, OR wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Albany, OR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 46% 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 $1,539 in Albany, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,662 in Albany, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, OR is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Albany, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.