Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Brentwood, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Brentwood, TN: $2,756 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Brentwood, TN
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Brentwood, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Brentwood, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Brentwood, TN

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 Brentwood, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,756 in Brentwood, TN.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Brentwood, TN $2,756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,945 in Brentwood, TN.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Brentwood, TN $3,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,135 in Brentwood, TN.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Brentwood, TN $5,135

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Brentwood, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Brentwood, TN 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.74 $17.74

38.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.3 $75.3

30.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.74 $11.74

25.98%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.42 $5.42

20.30%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.85 $2.85

13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.51 $2.51

26.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.68 $6.68

17.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.81 $6.81

17.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.10 $1.10

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.98 $3.98

29.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.03 $4.03

50.12%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.29 $4.29

13.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.05 $13.05

46.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.57 $14.57

29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.20 $18.20

28.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.72 $5.72

4.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.54 $1.54

25.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.77 $2.77

89.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.91 $4.91

33.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.19 $2.19

65.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.04 $3.04

8.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.36 $2.36

17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.26 $2.26

11.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.10 $9.10

33.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.68 $15.68

-5.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.98 $1.98

113.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.20 $3.20

80.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.86 $1.86

58.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.91 $4.91

-46.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.60 $1.60

7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$20.69 $20.69

43.64%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

26.66%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

-3.62%

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

$302 $302

$224 $224

34.57%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$72.4 $72.4

-3.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$63.9 $63.9

33.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.70 $41.70

86.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.11 $15.11

18.07%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,205 $1,205

146.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.1K $24.1K

29.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.0 $55.0

39.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.33 $42.33

27.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$110 $110

16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$137 $137

19.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,424 $1,424

71.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,416 $1,416

37.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,706 $2,706

75.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,206 $2,206

57.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,678 $2,678

175.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,349 $2,349

118.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,027 $6,027

7.96%

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 Brentwood, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Brentwood, TN

$1.4K 51.4% 27.2% $530

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Brentwood, TN

$421 15.3% 22.9% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Brentwood, TN

$361 13.1% 21.1% $97

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Brentwood, TN

$311 11.3% 22.3% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Brentwood, TN

$155 5.6% 18.5% $35

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Brentwood, TN

$20 * 0.7% 84.3% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Brentwood, TN

$72 2.6% 36.6% $42

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 $1,424 in Brentwood, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 8% 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 $75.0 in Brentwood, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $421 per month, with Brentwood, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brentwood, TN

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

64,474

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Brentwood, TN 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Brentwood, TN

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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 Brentwood, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Brentwood, TN differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,756 including rent). Brentwood, TN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,424 in Brentwood, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% 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 $2,756 in Brentwood, TN – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Brentwood, TN 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 Brentwood, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.