Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, VA: $3,582 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,582

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,582 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Arlington, VA $3,582

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,415 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Arlington, VA $5,415

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $7,249 in Arlington, VA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Arlington, VA $7,249

Seattle, WA costs about 6% more than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Seattle, WA and Arlington, VA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Arlington, VA by 164%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$23.99 $23.99

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$101 $101

-2.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.93 $10.93

35.32%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.78 $5.78

12.80%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.98 $2.98

8.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.43 $2.43

30.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.14 $8.14

-3.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.81 $8.81

-8.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 $1.25

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.39 $4.39

17.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.21 $5.21

16.12%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.07 $5.07

-3.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$21.53 $21.53

-10.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$15.69 $15.69

20.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$22.56 $22.56

3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.57 $5.57

7.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.88 $1.88

2.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.56 $4.56

15.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.75 $5.75

14.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.26 $3.26

11.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.75 $3.75

-11.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.26 $2.26

23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.73 $9.73

25.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.20 $17.20

-13.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.83 $2.83

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.83 $2.83

103.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.74 $2.74

7.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$121 $121

-12.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.93 $3.93

-32.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.21 $1.21

42.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.92 $24.92

19.26%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

23.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.21%

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

$302 $302

$162 $162

86.64%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$51.5 $51.5

36.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$61.7 $61.7

38.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$71.4 $71.4

9.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$19.14 $19.14

80.67%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$16.58 $16.58

7.60%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,572 $1,572

89.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.5K $35.5K

-12.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.3 $55.3

38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$62.2 $62.2

-13.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$104 $104

23.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$163 $163

0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,452 $2,452

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,010 $2,010

-3.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$4,832 $4,832

-1.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,600 $3,600

-3.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$5,750 $5,750

28.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$4,742 $4,742

8.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,973 $6,973

-6.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.79

1.47%

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, VA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Arlington, VA

$2K 56.1% 3.2% $63

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Arlington, VA

$504 14.1% 7.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Arlington, VA

$275 7.7% 39.9% $182

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Arlington, VA

$374 10.4% 6.4% $26

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Arlington, VA

$173 4.8% 9.3% $18

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Arlington, VA

$142 4% 9.7% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Arlington, VA

$105 2.9% 7.9% $9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,452 in Arlington, VA. 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 7% higher in Arlington, VA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $101 in Arlington, VA. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $504 in Arlington, VA – so Arlington, VA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🕒 Local time

07:58 7:58 AM

10:58 10:58 AM

3 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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Arlington, VA 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Arlington, VA

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, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 6% more than Arlington, VA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,373 in Arlington, VA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 8% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $101 in Arlington, VA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,582 in Arlington, VA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arlington, VA costs $3,582 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Arlington, VA. 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.