Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Alpena, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpena, MI: $1,895 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Alpena, MI
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Alpena, MI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Alpena, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Alpena, MI

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 Alpena, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,895 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Alpena, MI $1,895

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,745 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Alpena, MI $2,745

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,595 in Alpena, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Alpena, MI $3,595

Seattle, WA costs about 100% more than Alpena, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Alpena, MI sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Alpena, MI by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.64 $20.64

18.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.9 $75.9

29.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.29 $10.29

43.73%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.30 $5.30

23.02%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.95 $1.95

65.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.02 $1.02

210.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.52 $5.52

42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.45 $7.45

7.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.88 $0.88

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.62 $2.62

96.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.14 $4.14

46.14%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.93 $3.93

24.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.39 $11.39

68.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.71 $11.71

61.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.06 $10.06

131.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.35 $4.35

37.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.88 $4.88

7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.83 $4.83

36.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.87 $2.87

26.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.99 $2.99

10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.60 $1.60

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.04 $2.04

23.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.15 $9.15

33.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.80 $14.80

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.18 $2.18

93.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.37 $3.37

71.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.82 $1.82

62.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.18 $3.18

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.92 $1.92

-10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$31.63 $31.63

-6.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.9K $26.9K

33.39%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.22%

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

$302 $302

$202 $202

49.48%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$40.35 $40.35

73.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$44.81 $44.81

90.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$43.98 $43.98

76.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.17 $14.17

25.90%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,340 $1,340

121.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.2K $25.2K

24.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$42.58 $42.58

79.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$30.04 $30.04

79.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.9 $87.9

45.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$55.8 $55.8

193.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$960 $960

154.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$747 $747

160.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,718 $1,718

176.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,030 $1,030

236.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,659 $2,659

177.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,210 $2,210

132.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

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 19, 2026

Last update for Alpena, MI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Alpena, MI

$747 39.4% 61.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Alpena, MI

$357 18.9% 34.5% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Alpena, MI

$287 15.2% 37.2% $170

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Alpena, MI

$314 16.6% 21.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Alpena, MI

$97 5.1% 48.8% $93

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Alpena, MI

$20 * 1.1% 84.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Alpena, MI

$72 3.8% 36.3% $41

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $960 in Alpena, MI. 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $76.0 in Alpena, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $357 – making Alpena, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Alpena, MI

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

09:57 9:57 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

10,637

💱 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 Alpena, MI 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Alpena, MI

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 Alpena, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $1,895 in Alpena, MI – roughly 100% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,843 in Alpena, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alpena, MI, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $76.0 in Alpena, MI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alpena, MI, where all-in costs run around $1,895, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Alpena, MI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,895 in Alpena, MI to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alpena, MI. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.