Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Alpharetta, GA

For one person, living is cheaper in Alpharetta, GA: $3,015 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Alpharetta, GA
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Alpharetta, GA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Alpharetta, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,015

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $3,015 in Alpharetta, GA.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Alpharetta, GA $3,015

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,418 in Alpharetta, GA.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Alpharetta, GA $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,822 in Alpharetta, GA.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Alpharetta, GA $5,822

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Alpharetta, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Alpharetta, GA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$25.92 $25.92

-2.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$81.2 $81.2

25.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.82 $9.82

51.22%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.87 $4.87

35.32%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.52 $2.52

27.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.11 $2.11

48.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.78 $5.78

41.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.40 $7.40

8.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.93 $0.93

30.11%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.25 $4.25

20.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.73 $5.73

9.95%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.58 $4.58

6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.41 $11.41

67.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$8.73 $8.73

111.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$20.39 $20.39

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.61 $4.61

26.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.14 $2.14

-8.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.23 $4.23

25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.41 $4.41

46.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.65 $3.65

-2.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.71 $3.71

-15.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.39 $2.39

19.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.77 $2.77

-12.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.94 $8.94

42.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.79 $14.79

1.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.72 $1.72

142.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.92 $3.92

52.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.94 $2.94

3.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$94.2 $94.2

16.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.08 $3.08

-17.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.37 $2.37

-30.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$40.78 $40.78

-27.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.90 $0.90

57.78%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$32.5K $32.5K

10.14%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.74%

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

$299 $299

$252 $252

18.67%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$53.7 $53.7

31.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$87.4 $87.4

1.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$34.02 $34.02

133.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$22.25 $22.25

58.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$16.81 $16.81

1.84%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,298 $1,298

132.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$16.0K $16.0K

97.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$77.0 $77.0

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$44.98 $44.98

22.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$128 $128

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$139 $139

17.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,105 $2,105

17.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,488 $1,488

31.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,000 $3,000

57.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,491 $2,491

42.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$7,659 $7,659

-4.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$5,366 $5,366

-5.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$6,390 $6,390

-1.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.84

0.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Alpharetta, GA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Alpharetta, GA

$1.5K 49.3% 23.9% $468

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Alpharetta, GA

$414 13.7% 23.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Alpharetta, GA

$393 13% 14.2% $65

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Alpharetta, GA

$357 11.9% 12.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Alpharetta, GA

$175 5.8% 7.7% $15

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Alpharetta, GA

$121 4% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Alpharetta, GA

$68 2.2% 40.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alpharetta, GA pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81.0 in Alpharetta, GA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $414 per month, with Alpharetta, GA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Alpharetta, GA

🕒 Local time

13:14 1:14 PM

16:14 4:14 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

65,799

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Alpharetta, GA 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Alpharetta, GA

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 Alpharetta, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alpharetta, GA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 2% lower in Alpharetta, GA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $2,105 in Alpharetta, GA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Alpharetta, GA runs roughly 17% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,298 in Alpharetta, GA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Alpharetta, GA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Alpharetta, GA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Alpharetta, GA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.