Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Anacortes, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Anacortes, WA: $2,527 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Anacortes, WA
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Anacortes, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Anacortes, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Anacortes, WA

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 Anacortes, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,527 in Anacortes, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Anacortes, WA $2,527

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,761 in Anacortes, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Anacortes, WA $3,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,995 in Anacortes, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Anacortes, WA $4,995

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Anacortes, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Anacortes, WA 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.81 $17.81

42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.55 $13.55

8.93%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.04 $5.04

28.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.29 $2.29

40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.03 $2.03

54.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.46 $5.46

45.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.14 $6.14

32.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.93 $4.93

7.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.75 $1.75

265.71%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.09 $4.09

23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.24 $11.24

66.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.52 $14.52

28.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$23.03 $23.03

-0.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.04 $6.04

0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 $1.86

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.19 $3.19

72.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.54 $5.54

17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.38 $1.38

152.90%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.17 $3.17

3.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.53 $1.53

83.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.33 $2.33

10.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.51 $12.51

-0.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.24 $14.24

4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.89 $2.89

44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.22 $4.22

37.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.19 $5.19

-41.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$21.95 $21.95

382.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.59 $2.59

-0.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.67 $1.67

-1.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.26 $30.26

-0.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.30 $1.30

8.46%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.6K $36.6K

0.44%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.47%

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

$308 $308

$167 $167

83.79%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.0 $52.0

33.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$75.8 $75.8

13.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$50.2 $50.2

52.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.98 $16.98

6.12%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,161 $2,161

27.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$30.9K $30.9K

-0.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.1 $55.1

43.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$26.96 $26.96

101.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$95.2 $95.2

33.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$165 $165

-3.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,760 $1,760

42.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,203 $1,203

61.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,958 $2,958

73.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,982 $1,982

78.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,625 $2,625

180.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,417 $2,417

106.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$7,130 $7,130

-9.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.67

21.52%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Anacortes, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Anacortes, WA

$1.2K 47.6% 37.9% $736

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Anacortes, WA

$437 17.3% 20.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Anacortes, WA

$295 11.7% 36.2% $168

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Anacortes, WA

$301 11.9% 26% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Anacortes, WA

$154 6.1% 18.3% $35

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Anacortes, WA

$54 2.1% 58.4% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Anacortes, WA

$84 3.3% 25.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anacortes, WA pays 10% 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 $85 in Anacortes, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $437 per month, with Anacortes, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Anacortes, WA

🕒 Local time

09:57 9:57 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

17,637

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Anacortes, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Anacortes, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Anacortes, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,760 in Anacortes, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Anacortes, WA – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,527 in Anacortes, WA – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Anacortes, WA 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 Anacortes, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.