Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Branson, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Branson, MO: $2,056 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Branson, MO
Learn more

Branson, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Branson, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Branson, MO

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 Branson, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,056 in Branson, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Branson, MO $2,056

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,975 in Branson, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Branson, MO $2,975

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,895 in Branson, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Branson, MO $3,895

Seattle, WA costs about 85% more than Branson, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Branson, MO sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Branson, MO by 52%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.17 $20.17

25.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.0 $61.0

66.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.59 $10.59

40.23%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.02 $5.02

31.27%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.46 $1.46

120.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.97 $0.97

223.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.91 $3.91

109.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.02 $5.02

59.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.38 $3.38

51.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.08 $3.08

104.55%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.14 $4.14

18.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$7.91 $7.91

141.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.05 $9.05

104.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.72 $13.72

67.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.40 $4.40

32.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.59 $1.59

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.26 $2.26

134.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.70 $5.70

13.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.14 $2.14

66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.17 $2.17

45.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.48 $1.48

92.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.06 $2.06

17.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$6.84 $6.84

86.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.06 $13.06

14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.03 $2.03

105.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.99 $2.99

100.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.06 $2.06

47.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.46 $2.46

3.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.21 $1.21

35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$60.6 $60.6

-51.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.1K $35.1K

1.76%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.4K $24.4K

4.95%

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

$299 $299

$106 $106

181.21%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$64.9 $64.9

9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$71.8 $71.8

22.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$44.22 $44.22

79.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$11.88 $11.88

197.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.92 $14.92

14.75%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$798 $798

277.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

48.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$30.55 $30.55

152.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.14 $43.14

27.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$74.4 $74.4

68.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$147 $147

10.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,056 $1,056

133.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$958 $958

104.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,664 $1,664

183.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,414 $1,414

150.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.56

4.42%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Branson, MO: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Branson, MO

$958 46.6% 51% $998

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Branson, MO

$338 16.4% 37.7% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Branson, MO

$243 11.8% 46.9% $215

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Branson, MO

$293 14.2% 28.4% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Branson, MO

$133 6.5% 29.8% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Branson, MO

$17 * 0.8% 87.4% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Branson, MO

$74 3.6% 34.9% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,056 in Branson, MO. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $61.0 in Branson, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $338 – making Branson, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Branson, MO

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

23:26 11:26 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

12,746

💱 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 Branson, MO 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Branson, MO

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 Branson, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $2,056 in Branson, MO – roughly 85% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,083 in Branson, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $61.0 in Branson, MO. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 60% 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 $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Branson, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,056, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Branson, MO it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,056 in Branson, MO to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Branson, MO. 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.