Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Boulder, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Boulder, CO: $3,518 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
169

Cost of Living Index in Boulder, CO
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Boulder, CO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Boulder, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,518

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Boulder, CO

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,518 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Boulder, CO $3,518

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,103 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Boulder, CO $5,103

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,689 in Boulder, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Boulder, CO $6,689

Seattle, WA costs about 8% more than Boulder, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Boulder, CO sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Boulder, CO by 160%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.81 $19.81

23.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$79.3 $79.3

23.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.07 $15.07

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.56 $5.56

17.27%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.70 $3.70

-12.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.88 $2.88

10.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.09 $7.09

10.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.84 $8.84

-9.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.18 $1.18

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.55 $5.55

-7.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.50 $6.50

-6.92%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.53 $5.53

-11.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.85 $11.85

61.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.91 $10.91

73.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.35 $17.35

34.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.93 $5.93

1.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.46 $1.46

32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.35 $6.35

-17.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.09 $6.09

7.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.92 $3.92

-7.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.84 $3.84

-13.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.35 $3.35

-17.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.65 $2.65

-5.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.24 $10.24

18.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.23 $17.23

-13.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.86 $1.86

126.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.94 $4.94

16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.82 $2.82

4.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$152 $152

-30.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.43 $2.43

9.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 $1.38

24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.21 $24.21

22.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 $1.08

37.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.5K $27.5K

30.65%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.41%

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

$302 $302

$279 $279

8.18%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$72.1 $72.1

-2.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$74.2 $74.2

15.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$83.1 $83.1

-6.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$20.21 $20.21

71.10%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$16.72 $16.72

6.70%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,633 $1,633

82.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$31.2K $31.2K

0.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$69.2 $69.2

10.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.21 $48.21

12.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$92.2 $92.2

38.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$144 $144

14.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,374 $2,374

3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,825 $1,825

6.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$4,307 $4,307

10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,069 $3,069

13.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$4,420 $4,420

66.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$4,495 $4,495

14.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,629 $5,629

15.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Boulder, CO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Boulder, CO

$1.8K 51.9% 6.3% $122

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Boulder, CO

$470 13.4% 13.9% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Boulder, CO

$425 12.1% 7% $32

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Boulder, CO

$350 10% 12.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Boulder, CO

$159 4.5% 16.5% $31

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Boulder, CO

$173 4.9% 33.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Boulder, CO

$117 3.3% 2.7% $3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,374 in Boulder, CO. 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 16% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $79.0 in Boulder, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $470 – making Boulder, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Boulder, CO

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

16:00 4:00 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

106,803

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Boulder, CO 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Boulder, CO

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 Boulder, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,277 in Boulder, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 16% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $79.0 in Boulder, CO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,518 in Boulder, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Boulder, CO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Boulder, CO. 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.