Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Auburn, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, AL: $2,013 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, AL
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Auburn, AL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Auburn, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,013

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Auburn, AL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Auburn, AL $2,013

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,941 in Auburn, AL.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Auburn, AL $2,941

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,870 in Auburn, AL.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Auburn, AL $3,870

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 88% more expensive than in Auburn, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Auburn, AL 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$13.18 $13.18

86.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$47.90 $47.90

105.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.60 $10.60

39.53%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.11 $5.11

27.59%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.44 $2.44

32.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.72 $1.72

84.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.97 $4.97

57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.12 $6.12

31.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.09 $1.09

11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.64 $3.64

41.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.53 $5.53

9.40%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.28 $4.28

14.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.81 $11.81

62.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$6.21 $6.21

204.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.76 $10.76

116.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.99 $4.99

20.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.19 $1.19

62.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.48 $2.48

111.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.86 $2.86

129.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.85 $1.85

95.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.20 $2.20

50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 $2.00

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.85 $1.85

35.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$6.67 $6.67

82.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.42 $12.42

19.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.68 $1.68

151.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.11 $5.11

12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

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

$0.78 $0.78

91.03%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$35.5K $35.5K

-26.09%

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

$302 $302

$207 $207

45.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$54.6 $54.6

28.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$64.1 $64.1

33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$64.5 $64.5

20.66%

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

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$49.99 $49.99

53.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.26 $48.26

12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$67.9 $67.9

88.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$65.5 $65.5

150.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,288 $1,288

89.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$910 $910

113.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,090 $2,090

126.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,592 $1,592

117.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,054 $2,054

258.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,059 $2,059

149.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,356 $4,356

49.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.39

7.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Auburn, AL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Auburn, AL

$910 45.2% 53.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Auburn, AL

$325 16.2% 40.4% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Auburn, AL

$326 16.2% 28.7% $131

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Auburn, AL

$252 12.5% 36.9% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Auburn, AL

$104 5.2% 45.2% $86

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Auburn, AL

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Auburn, AL

$95 4.7% 16.4% $19

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 $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 49% 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 $48.00 in Auburn, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $325 per month, with Auburn, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Auburn, AL

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

06:40 6:40 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Auburn, AL 3,500 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Auburn, AL

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 Auburn, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Auburn, AL differ by about 88% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,013 including rent). Auburn, AL is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 49% 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 $1,288 in Auburn, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Auburn, AL – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,013 in Auburn, AL – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,013 in Auburn, AL versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Auburn, AL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Auburn, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Auburn, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.