Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, GA: $2,200 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Athens, 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 Athens, GA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,200 in Athens, GA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Athens, GA $2,200

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,313 in Athens, GA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Athens, GA $3,313

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,426 in Athens, GA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Athens, GA $4,426

Seattle, WA costs about 72% more than Athens, GA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Athens, GA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Athens, GA by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$13.19 $13.19

85.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$63.7 $63.7

54.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.36 $10.36

42.76%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.70 $5.70

14.39%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.93 $2.93

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.21 $2.21

43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.52 $7.52

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.79 $7.79

3.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.82 $0.82

47.56%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.93 $2.93

75.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.57 $6.57

-7.91%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.27 $3.27

49.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$8.81 $8.81

117.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.55 $10.55

79.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.58 $14.58

59.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.96 $5.96

0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.36 $1.36

41.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.23 $6.23

-15.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.73 $4.73

38.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.21 $4.21

-14.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.15 $4.15

-20.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.62 $2.62

6.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.98 $1.98

26.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.03 $9.03

34.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$18.65 $18.65

-20.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.78 $1.78

137.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.93 $5.93

-2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$15.58 $15.58

581.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.4K $28.4K

26.57%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

-2.62%

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

$302 $302

$285 $285

6.09%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$41.91 $41.91

67.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$79.7 $79.7

7.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$25.05 $25.05

210.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$7.80 $7.80

343.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.95 $12.95

37.76%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$872 $872

240.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$9,396 $9,396

232.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.8 $54.8

39.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$31.97 $31.97

69.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$64.6 $64.6

98.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$54.5 $54.5

201.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,340 $1,340

82.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$957 $957

103.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,322 $2,322

104.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,860 $1,860

86.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,420 $2,420

204.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,230 $2,230

129.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,487 $3,487

86.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.72

2.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Athens, GA

$957 43.5% 50.9% $990

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Athens, GA

$399 18.2% 26.8% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Athens, GA

$406 18.5% 11.2% $51

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Athens, GA

$279 12.7% 30.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Athens, GA

$93 4.2% 51.3% $98

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7% 87.9% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Athens, GA

$51 2.3% 55.1% $63

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,340 in Athens, GA. 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 87% 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $64.0 in Athens, GA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $399 – making Athens, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🕒 Local time

07:48 7:48 AM

10:48 10:48 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

115,452

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Athens, GA 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Athens, GA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,300 in Athens, GA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 37% 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 $64.0 in Athens, GA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Athens, GA, where all-in costs run around $2,200, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Athens, GA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Athens, GA. 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.