Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Auburn, WA: $2,589 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Auburn, WA
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Auburn, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Auburn, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,589 in Auburn, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Auburn, WA $2,589

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,092 in Auburn, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Auburn, WA $4,092

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,595 in Auburn, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Auburn, WA $5,595

Seattle, WA costs about 46% more than Auburn, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Auburn, WA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Auburn, WA by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.69 $19.69

24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$96.2 $96.2

2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.71 $11.71

26.30%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.46 $4.46

46.19%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.05 $2.05

57.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.01 $2.01

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.93 $4.93

59.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.18 $7.18

11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.89 $0.89

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.56 $2.56

100.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.75 $3.75

61.33%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.04 $3.04

60.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$8.58 $8.58

123.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.75 $13.75

37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.56 $18.56

25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.75 $4.75

26.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.80 $1.80

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.81 $3.81

37.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.15 $4.15

58.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.11 $3.11

16.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.26 $3.26

1.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.83 $1.83

51.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.11 $2.11

18.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.79 $10.79

12.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.03 $15.03

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.70 $1.70

148.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.92 $2.92

97.60%

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

$3.54 $3.54

-25.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.84 $1.84

-6.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$50.2 $50.2

-40.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.30 $1.30

14.62%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

40.19%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

7.04%

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

$302 $302

$216 $216

39.43%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$40.51 $40.51

73.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$79.5 $79.5

7.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$34.39 $34.39

126.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.77 $14.77

20.79%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,077 $1,077

176.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$16.8K $16.8K

86.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.7 $55.7

37.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$46.82 $46.82

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$78.9 $78.9

62.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$81.3 $81.3

101.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,470 $1,470

66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,381 $1,381

40.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,298 $2,298

106.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,844 $2,844

21.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,864 $6,864

-5.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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, WA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Auburn, WA

$1.4K 53.4% 29% $565

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Auburn, WA

$375 14.5% 31.2% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Auburn, WA

$336 13% 26.4% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Auburn, WA

$301 11.6% 24.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Auburn, WA

$118 4.6% 37.9% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Auburn, WA

$13 * 0.5% 90.1% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Auburn, WA

$64 2.5% 43.7% $50

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 $1,470 in Auburn, WA. 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 5% higher in Auburn, WA, 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 $96.0 in Auburn, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $375 – making Auburn, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Auburn, WA

🕒 Local time

17:52 5:52 PM

Same time as 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

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Seattle, WA Auburn, WA 34 km

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 Auburn, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 46% more than Auburn, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 $3,884 in Auburn, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,589 in Auburn, WA. That's a gap of about 46%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,077 in Auburn, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Auburn, WA, where all-in costs run around $2,589, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Auburn, WA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Auburn, WA costs $2,589 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Auburn, WA. 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.