Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Appleton, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Appleton, WI: $2,114 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Appleton, WI
Learn more

Appleton, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Appleton, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,114

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,114 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Appleton, WI $2,114

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,257 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Appleton, WI $3,257

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,400 in Appleton, WI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Appleton, WI $4,400

Seattle, WA costs about 80% more than Appleton, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Appleton, WI sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Appleton, WI by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$18.17 $18.17

39.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$65.1 $65.1

55.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.10 $11.10

33.78%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.37 $5.37

22.72%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.59 $2.59

24.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.31 $2.31

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.61 $4.61

77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.09 $6.09

31.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.03 $1.03

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.06 $3.06

67.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.13 $5.13

22.81%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.53 $4.53

8.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$14.18 $14.18

34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$8.35 $8.35

121.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$15.52 $15.52

48.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.84 $4.84

20.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.33 $1.33

46.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.14 $3.14

68.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.37 $4.37

48.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.13 $2.13

67.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.63 $2.63

19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.21 $2.21

28.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.14 $3.14

-22.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.94 $10.94

16.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.89 $14.89

0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.76 $1.76

136.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.34 $3.34

79.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.22 $3.22

-20.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.39 $1.39

17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$24.33 $24.33

21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.98 $0.98

44.90%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.4K $35.4K

0.85%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.51%

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

$299 $299

$174 $174

71.64%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$44.20 $44.20

60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$61.6 $61.6

43.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$23.46 $23.46

238.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$39.62 $39.62

-10.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.55 $14.55

17.66%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,508 $1,508

99.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$31.4K $31.4K

0.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$39.23 $39.23

96.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$24.89 $24.89

121.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$50.0 $50.0

151.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$111 $111

46.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,524 $1,524

61.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$992 $992

97.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,800 $1,800

161.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,897 $1,897

87.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,257 $2,257

225.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,278 $2,278

121.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,999 $3,999

57.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.37

7.54%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Appleton, WI: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Appleton, WI

$992 46.9% 49.3% $965

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Appleton, WI

$380 18% 29.8% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Appleton, WI

$280 13.3% 38.9% $178

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Appleton, WI

$298 14.1% 27.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Appleton, WI

$101 4.8% 46.5% $88

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Appleton, WI

$10 * 0.5% 92.4% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Appleton, WI

$53 2.5% 53.8% $61

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,524 in Appleton, WI. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 57% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $65.0 in Appleton, WI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $380 – making Appleton, WI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Appleton, WI

🕒 Local time

14:28 2:28 PM

16:28 4:28 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

74,139

💱 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 Appleton, WI 2,620 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Appleton, WI

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 Appleton, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,170 in Appleton, WI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Appleton, WI, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA and $65.0 in Appleton, WI. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% 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 $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Appleton, WI, where all-in costs run around $2,114, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Appleton, WI it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Appleton, WI – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Appleton, WI. 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.