Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Augusta, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Augusta, ME: $2,388 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Augusta, ME
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Augusta, ME Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Augusta, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Augusta, ME

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,388 in Augusta, ME.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Augusta, ME $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,317 in Augusta, ME.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Augusta, ME $3,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,246 in Augusta, ME.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Augusta, ME $4,246

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 58% more expensive than in Augusta, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Augusta, ME 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.90 $19.90

27.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$53.1 $53.1

89.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.39 $10.39

42.06%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.40 $5.40

20.37%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.36 $2.36

36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.59 $1.59

97.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.02 $5.02

58.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.72 $7.72

5.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.14 $1.14

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.56 $4.56

16.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.45 $1.45

341.38%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.96 $3.96

27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.09 $15.09

23.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.12 $14.12

32.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.52 $19.52

17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.48 $7.48

-18.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.31 $1.31

48.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.09 $3.09

78.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.59 $4.59

42.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.33 $2.33

49.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.86 $2.86

15.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.08 $2.08

34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.81 $1.81

42.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.98 $11.98

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.99 $12.99

14.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.56 $1.56

168.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.55 $1.55

274.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.55 $2.55

1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.27 $1.27

29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$28.55 $28.55

5.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.90 $0.90

56.67%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.6K $29.6K

24.42%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.3K $24.3K

9.55%

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

$308 $308

$243 $243

26.61%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$45.59 $45.59

51.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$61.0 $61.0

41.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$22.60 $22.60

238.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.13 $14.13

27.53%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,656 $2,656

3.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.6K $36.6K

-16.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$73.5 $73.5

7.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.9 $50.9

6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$113 $113

12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$154 $154

2.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,200 $1,200

109.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,078 $1,078

79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,602 $1,602

219.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,473 $1,473

140.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,386 $2,386

209.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,378 $2,378

110.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$1,948 $1,948

232.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.3

9.37%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Augusta, ME: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Augusta, ME

$1.1K 45.2% 44.4% $860

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Augusta, ME

$413 17.3% 24.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Augusta, ME

$349 14.6% 24.5% $113

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Augusta, ME

$312 13% 23.3% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Augusta, ME

$176 7.4% 6.5% $12

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Augusta, ME

$8.9 * 0.4% 93.1% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Augusta, ME

$51 2.1% 54.8% $62

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 3.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $53 in Augusta, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $413 per month, with Augusta, ME cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Augusta, ME

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

04:00 4:00 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

194,343

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Augusta, ME 4,000 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Augusta, ME

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 Augusta, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,388 in Augusta, ME, so Augusta, ME is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 3.3 times higher, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,200 in Augusta, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,656 in Augusta, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Augusta, ME – a meal for two runs $53 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,388 in Augusta, ME versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Augusta, ME but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Augusta, ME 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.

It comes down to priorities – Augusta, ME wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.