Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Alhambra, CA: $3,538 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

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

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,538 in Alhambra, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Alhambra, CA $3,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,726 in Alhambra, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Alhambra, CA $4,726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,913 in Alhambra, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Alhambra, CA $5,913

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Alhambra, CA 161% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.02 $25.02

-2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$78.7 $78.7

24.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.02 $15.02

-1.53%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.86 $5.86

11.26%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.06 $3.06

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.40 $2.40

32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.16 $7.16

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.81 $9.81

-18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.40 $1.40

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.26 $5.26

-2.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.64 $4.64

30.39%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$6.01 $6.01

-18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.61 $11.61

65.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.59 $8.59

120.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.37 $19.37

20.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.65 $4.65

28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.28 $2.28

-15.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.98 $3.98

31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.36 $5.36

22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.28 $3.28

10.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.17 $3.17

4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.94 $1.94

43.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.81 $2.81

-10.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.86 $11.86

2.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.93 $14.93

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.44 $2.44

72.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.72 $2.72

112.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.71 $1.71

72.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$110 $110

-3.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.94 $2.94

-9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.81 $1.81

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$31.75 $31.75

-6.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.48 $1.48

0.68%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$34.8K $34.8K

3.03%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.62%

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

$302 $302

$287 $287

5.32%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$77.9 $77.9

-9.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$74.2 $74.2

14.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$19.90 $19.90

291.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$15.76 $15.76

119.42%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$19.71 $19.71

-9.49%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,174 $1,174

153.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-2.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$63.2 $63.2

21.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.29 $47.29

14.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$104 $104

22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$104 $104

57.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,263 $2,263

8.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,945 $1,945

0.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,947 $2,947

60.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,507 $2,507

38.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$7,015 $7,015

5.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$5,888 $5,888

-12.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,895 $4,895

32.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55% 0.1% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2% 21.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4% 4.1% $19

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1% 1.7% $6.8

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1% 24.5% $47

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7% 47.7% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 33% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $79.0 in Alhambra, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $430 per month, with Alhambra, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

83,089

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Alhambra, CA 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Alhambra, CA

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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 Alhambra, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Alhambra, CA differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $3,538 including rent). Alhambra, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alhambra, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Alhambra, CA 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Alhambra, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alhambra, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.