Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Barnstable, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnstable, MA: $2,398 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Barnstable, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,398 in Barnstable, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Barnstable, MA $2,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,546 in Barnstable, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Barnstable, MA $3,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,695 in Barnstable, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Barnstable, MA $4,695

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Barnstable, MA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.23 $18.23

34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.0 $74.0

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.08 $10.08

46.73%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.98 $3.98

63.82%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.12 $2.12

52.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.67 $1.67

89.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.15 $5.15

52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.88 $6.88

16.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.05 $3.05

68.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.10 $4.10

47.56%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.12 $4.12

18.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$6.43 $6.43

198.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.68 $8.68

117.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$8.65 $8.65

169.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.14 $4.14

44.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.80 $1.80

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.48 $4.48

17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.61 $3.61

81.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.21 $2.21

63.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.14 $2.14

54.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.93 $1.93

44.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.75 $12.75

16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.17 $2.17

94.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.00 $4.00

44.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.95 $1.95

51.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$34.68 $34.68

206.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.40 $3.40

-22.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.75 $3.75

-54.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$25.52 $25.52

16.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.03 $1.03

44.66%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

31.35%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.4K $24.4K

7.72%

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

$302 $302

$101 $101

198.61%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$60.7 $60.7

15.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$63.8 $63.8

33.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.77 $41.77

86.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$24.38 $24.38

41.84%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.74 $13.74

29.84%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,833 $1,833

62.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$29.7K $29.7K

5.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.9 $55.9

37.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$37.94 $37.94

42.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$80.0 $80.0

60.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$99.5 $99.5

64.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,579 $1,579

54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,315 $1,315

48.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,496 $2,496

90.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,179 $2,179

59.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,718 $2,718

171.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,379 $2,379

115.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,584 $4,584

41.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.8% 32.5% $632

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Barnstable, MA

$322 13.4% 41% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Barnstable, MA

$226 9.4% 50.7% $232

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Barnstable, MA

$278 11.6% 30.3% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Barnstable, MA

$123 5.1% 35.4% $67

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7% 50% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Barnstable, MA

$69 2.9% 39% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 42% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $74.0 in Barnstable, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $322 per month, with Barnstable, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

01:22 1:22 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Barnstable, MA 4,090 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Barnstable, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Barnstable, MA differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,398 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,579 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barnstable, MA runs roughly 206% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,833 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barnstable, MA 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 Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.