Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Baraboo, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Baraboo, WI: $2,376 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Baraboo, WI
Learn more

Baraboo, WI Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Baraboo, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Baraboo, WI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,376 in Baraboo, WI.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Baraboo, WI $2,376

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,386 in Baraboo, WI.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Baraboo, WI $3,386

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,395 in Baraboo, WI.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Baraboo, WI $4,395

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Baraboo, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Baraboo, WI 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.14 $14.14

73.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$40.27 $40.27

143.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.10 $12.10

22.23%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.88 $4.88

33.61%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.47 $1.47

119.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.51 $1.51

109.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.03 $5.03

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.43 $3.43

134.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.78 $0.78

55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.86 $2.86

79.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.93 $2.93

106.48%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.96 $2.96

64.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$7.95 $7.95

141.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.50 $11.50

64.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.56 $10.56

120.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.01 $4.01

49.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.25 $1.25

54.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.58 $3.58

46.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.45 $5.45

20.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.73 $1.73

109.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.21 $3.21

3.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.69 $1.69

64.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.01 $2.01

24.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.13 $12.13

0.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$8.03 $8.03

84.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.69 $1.69

149.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.39 $3.39

70.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.73 $1.73

70.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.98 $2.98

-11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 $1.61

6.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.75 $26.75

11.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$24.3K $24.3K

47.84%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.48%

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

$302 $302

$172 $172

75.70%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$52.7 $52.7

33.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$51.4 $51.4

65.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.57 $41.57

87.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.57 $11.57

54.19%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,506 $1,506

97.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

49.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$56.2 $56.2

36.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.90 $42.90

25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$89.5 $89.5

43.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$128 $128

28.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,613 $1,613

51.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,307 $1,307

48.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,474 $2,474

91.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,148 $2,148

61.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,173 $2,173

239.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,193 $2,193

133.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.43

7.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Baraboo, WI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Baraboo, WI

$1.3K 55% 32.9% $640

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Baraboo, WI

$316 13.3% 42.1% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Baraboo, WI

$276 11.6% 39.7% $181

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Baraboo, WI

$252 10.6% 37% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Baraboo, WI

$142 6% 25.1% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Baraboo, WI

$18 * 0.8% 86.1% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Baraboo, WI

$65 2.7% 43% $49

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 $1,613 in Baraboo, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $40.00 in Baraboo, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $316 per month, with Baraboo, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Baraboo, WI

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

12,556

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Baraboo, WI 2,560 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Baraboo, WI

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 Baraboo, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baraboo, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baraboo, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,564 in Baraboo, WI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,613 in Baraboo, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,376 in Baraboo, WI – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

Both work as nomad bases, but Baraboo, WI delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,376 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baraboo, WI hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Baraboo, WI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Baraboo, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.