Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Brea, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Seattle, WA and in Brea, CA: $3,782 and $3,716 a month, rent and utilities included.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Brea, CA
Learn more

Brea, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Brea, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,716

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Brea, CA

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 Brea, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,716 in Brea, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Brea, CA $3,716

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $5,124 in Brea, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Brea, CA $5,124

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,532 in Brea, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Brea, CA $6,532

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 2% more expensive than in Brea, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Brea, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.18 $25.18

-2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$78.5 $78.5

25.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.18 $12.18

21.43%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.59 $5.59

16.64%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.69 $2.69

20.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.98 $1.98

60.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.34 $7.34

6.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.46 $9.46

-15.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.18 $1.18

2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.29 $5.29

-2.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.41 $4.41

37.19%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.86 $4.86

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$15.38 $15.38

24.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.87 $8.87

113.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$13.91 $13.91

67.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.66 $4.66

28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.80 $1.80

7.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.30 $4.30

22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.77 $5.77

13.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.61 $3.61

0.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.07 $3.07

7.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.14 $2.14

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.18 $2.18

15.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.95 $11.95

1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.14 $15.14

-2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.77 $1.77

138.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.21 $3.21

79.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.58 $4.58

-42.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.81 $1.81

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$36.28 $36.28

-18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.57 $1.57

-5.10%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.8K $27.8K

29.20%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.86%

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

$302 $302

$218 $218

38.57%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$70.8 $70.8

-0.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$69.1 $69.1

23.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$30.08 $30.08

158.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$20.02 $20.02

72.73%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$19.98 $19.98

-10.71%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,162 $1,162

155.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$42.8K $42.8K

-26.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$62.2 $62.2

23.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.12 $41.12

31.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$80.9 $80.9

58.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$104 $104

57.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,241 $2,241

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,354 $2,354

-17.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,133 $3,133

51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,521 $3,521

-1.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$5,884 $5,884

25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$6,172 $6,172

-16.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$9,939 $9,939

-34.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Brea, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Brea, CA

$2.4K 63.4% 20.9% $407

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Brea, CA

$411 11.1% 24.6% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Brea, CA

$358 9.6% 21.8% $99

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Brea, CA

$379 10.2% 5.1% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Brea, CA

$130 3.5% 31.8% $60

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Brea, CA

$14 * 0.4% 89.5% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Brea, CA

$70 1.9% 38.3% $43

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 $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brea, CA pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $79.0 in Brea, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $411 per month, with Brea, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brea, CA

🕒 Local time

11:54 11:54 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

38,585

💱 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 Brea, CA 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Brea, CA

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 Brea, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brea, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brea, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Brea, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,241 in Brea, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,162 in Brea, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brea, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 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. Brea, CA 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 Brea, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brea, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Brea, CA 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 Brea, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.