Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Baltimore, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Baltimore, MD: $2,603 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Baltimore, MD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,603 in Baltimore, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Baltimore, MD $2,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,940 in Baltimore, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Baltimore, MD $3,940

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,277 in Baltimore, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Baltimore, MD $5,277

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 45% more expensive than in Baltimore, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Baltimore, MD 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.89 $17.89

41.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$94.6 $94.6

6.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.58 $10.58

39.51%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.20 $5.20

25.00%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.45 $3.45

-6.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.60 $2.60

20.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.92 $6.92

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.08 $8.08

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.15 $1.15

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.13 $4.13

28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.25 $4.25

50.59%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.04 $5.04

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.57 $12.57

48.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.88 $12.88

45.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.12 $18.12

26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.90 $5.90

2.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.54 $1.54

26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.66 $5.66

-2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.80 $4.80

35.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.71 $2.71

28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.87 $2.87

14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.36 $2.36

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.26 $2.26

14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.27 $13.27

-5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.80 $15.80

-5.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.67 $2.67

56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.82 $3.82

51.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.06 $2.06

48.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$77.6 $77.6

36.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.76 $1.76

46.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.38 $1.38

18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.89 $23.89

26.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.07 $1.07

31.78%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.5K $34.5K

6.60%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.01%

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

$308 $308

$217 $217

41.57%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$68.1 $68.1

1.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$88.8 $88.8

-3.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$47.25 $47.25

61.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$47.67 $47.67

-25.53%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.95 $14.95

20.54%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,934 $1,934

41.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$35.0K $35.0K

-12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$53.3 $53.3

48.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$62.1 $62.1

-12.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$94.0 $94.0

34.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$111 $111

42.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,735 $1,735

44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,165 $1,165

66.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,179 $2,179

134.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,026 $2,026

74.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,404 $2,404

206.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,214 $2,214

125.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,375 $4,375

47.89%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8% 39.9% $773

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7% 20.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4% 19.1% $89

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Baltimore, MD

$312 12% 23.2% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6% 23.5% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6% 26.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Baltimore, MD

$77 3% 31.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $95 in Baltimore, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $435 per month, with Baltimore, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

23:55 11:55 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

585,708

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Baltimore, MD 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Baltimore, MD

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 Baltimore, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baltimore, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baltimore, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,735 in Baltimore, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Baltimore, MD – a meal for two runs $95 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Baltimore, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Baltimore, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.