Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Allen, TX: $2,811 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Allen, TX
Learn more

Allen, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Allen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,811 in Allen, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Allen, TX $2,811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,096 in Allen, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Allen, TX $4,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,381 in Allen, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Allen, TX $5,381

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 35% more expensive than in Allen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Allen, TX 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$19.96 $19.96

26.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.1 $61.1

66.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.96 $10.96

35.49%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.15 $6.15

7.15%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.89 $2.89

11.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.73 $1.73

81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.52 $5.52

48.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.26 $9.26

-13.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.88 $0.88

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.82 $2.82

81.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.29 $2.29

175.11%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.75 $3.75

30.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.45 $10.45

82.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.92 $14.92

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$16.99 $16.99

35.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.18 $3.18

82.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.60 $2.60

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.89 $2.89

83.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.59 $2.59

150.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.14 $2.14

66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.99 $1.99

58.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.72 $1.72

65.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.40 $2.40

0.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.67 $9.67

31.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$11.88 $11.88

26.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.12 $2.12

96.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.20 $3.20

87.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.93 $2.93

3.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$59.0 $59.0

86.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.98 $2.98

-14.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.76 $1.76

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$24.24 $24.24

22.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.92 $0.92

54.35%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.6K $36.6K

-2.31%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.2K $25.2K

1.26%

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

$299 $299

$159 $159

87.86%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$87.0 $87.0

-18.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$66.7 $66.7

32.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$75.5 $75.5

5.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$30.46 $30.46

16.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$11.89 $11.89

43.99%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,754 $1,754

71.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$28.1K $28.1K

12.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$56.2 $56.2

37.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$28.48 $28.48

93.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$94.7 $94.7

32.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$99.0 $99.0

64.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,524 $1,524

61.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,499 $1,499

30.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,477 $2,477

90.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,496 $2,496

42.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$3,697 $3,697

98.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,957 $2,957

70.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$6,145 $6,145

2.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.53

4.90%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Allen, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Allen, TX

$1.5K 53.3% 23.4% $457

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Allen, TX

$361 12.8% 33.3% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Allen, TX

$313 11.1% 31.7% $145

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Allen, TX

$331 11.8% 19% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Allen, TX

$125 4.5% 33.8% $64

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Allen, TX

$83 2.9% 38% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Allen, TX

$99 3.5% 12.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,524 in Allen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 2% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $61.0 in Allen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $361 per month, with Allen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Allen, TX

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

11:45 11:45 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

106,874

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Allen, TX 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Allen, TX

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 Allen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Allen, TX differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($3,800 vs $2,811 including rent). Allen, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 2% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,524 in Allen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Allen, TX – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $101 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. Allen, TX 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 Allen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.