Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Arlington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, KY: $2,653 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, KY
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Arlington, KY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Arlington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Arlington, KY

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 Arlington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Arlington, KY $2,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,917 in Arlington, KY.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Arlington, KY $3,917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,180 in Arlington, KY.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Arlington, KY $5,180

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Arlington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Arlington, KY 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.42 $18.42

33.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$84.1 $84.1

16.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.88 $11.88

24.49%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.64 $6.64

-1.81%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.83 $2.83

14.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.39 $2.39

32.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.89 $6.89

13.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.11 $8.11

-0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.77 $0.77

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.96 $3.96

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.05 $4.05

49.38%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.29 $4.29

13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.87 $12.87

49.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.53 $14.53

30.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.27 $18.27

27.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.82 $5.82

2.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.21 $4.21

24.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.87 $4.87

34.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.99 $1.99

81.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.24 $2.24

47.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.38 $2.38

16.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.49 $1.49

68.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.37 $9.37

29.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.88 $15.88

-6.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.42 $2.42

74.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.67 $4.67

23.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.99 $1.99

48.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.89 $4.89

-45.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.51 $1.51

13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$20.90 $20.90

42.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 $1.05

41.90%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.3K $37.3K

-3.83%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.50%

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

$302 $302

$230 $230

31.21%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$74.5 $74.5

-5.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.1 $75.1

13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.90 $40.90

90.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.19 $15.19

17.45%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,442 $1,442

106.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.8K $30.8K

1.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.3 $55.3

38.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.53 $43.53

24.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$92.3 $92.3

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$139 $139

18.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,617 $1,617

51.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,282 $1,282

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,513 $2,513

88.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,161 $2,161

60.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,807 $2,807

162.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,068 $2,068

147.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,051 $6,051

7.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Arlington, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Arlington, KY

$1.3K 48.3% 34.1% $665

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Arlington, KY

$417 15.7% 23.5% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Arlington, KY

$380 14.3% 17% $78

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Arlington, KY

$334 12.6% 16.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Arlington, KY

$149 5.6% 21.9% $42

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Arlington, KY

$20 * 0.8% 84.2% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Arlington, KY

$71 2.7% 37.2% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 8% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $84.0 in Arlington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $417 per month, with Arlington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Arlington, KY

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Arlington, KY 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Arlington, KY

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 Arlington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Arlington, KY differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,653 including rent). Arlington, KY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,617 in Arlington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,653 in Arlington, KY – a 43% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Arlington, KY 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 Arlington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.