Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, CA: $3,176 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, CA
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Auburn, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Auburn, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,176

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,176 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Auburn, CA $3,176

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,577 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Auburn, CA $4,577

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,978 in Auburn, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Auburn, CA $5,978

Seattle, WA costs about 19% more than Auburn, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Auburn, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Auburn, CA by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.65 $24.65

2.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$91.5 $91.5

10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.86 $11.86

24.45%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.88 $4.88

33.20%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.62 $2.62

22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.35 $2.35

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.95 $4.95

61.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.95 $6.95

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.22 $1.22

-4.10%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.48 $4.48

18.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.19 $8.19

-21.86%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.18 $3.18

59.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$25.82 $25.82

-27.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$18.26 $18.26

2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.83 $22.83

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.16 $8.16

-25.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$8.75 $8.75

-37.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.62 $6.62

-1.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.11 $5.11

-31.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.01 $3.01

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.02 $2.02

38.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.30 $2.30

12.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.00 $12.00

4.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.93 $14.93

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.39 $1.39

201.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.02 $2.02

187.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.56 $3.56

-14.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$90.8 $90.8

16.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.16 $3.16

-18.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.42 $2.42

-32.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$39.43 $39.43

-23.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.28 $1.28

10.16%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.21%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.2K $24.2K

9.78%

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

$308 $308

$186 $186

65.16%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.4 $50.4

37.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$66.9 $66.9

28.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$64.2 $64.2

19.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.04 $15.04

19.81%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,510 $2,510

9.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$6,097 $6,097

401.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$70.7 $70.7

11.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$46.61 $46.61

16.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$108 $108

17.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$203 $203

-21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,831 $1,831

36.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,558 $1,558

24.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,710 $2,710

88.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,294 $2,294

54.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,305 $3,305

123.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,699 $2,699

85.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,957 $3,957

63.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.77

1.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Auburn, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Auburn, CA

$1.6K 49.1% 19.6% $380

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Auburn, CA

$557 17.5% 1.8% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Auburn, CA

$303 9.6% 34.4% $159

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Auburn, CA

$350 11% 13.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Auburn, CA

$193 6.1% 2.1% $4

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Auburn, CA

$120 3.8% 6.7% $8.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Auburn, CA

$94 3% 16.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,831 in Auburn, CA. 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 64% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $91 in Auburn, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $557 in Auburn, CA – so Seattle, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Auburn, CA

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Auburn, CA 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Auburn, CA

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, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $3,176 in Auburn, CA – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,764 in Auburn, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Auburn, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,831 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,176 in Auburn, CA. That’s a gap of about 19%.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,510 in Auburn, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,176 in Auburn, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Auburn, CA – 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 Auburn, CA. 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.