Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Brookings, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Brookings, SD: $2,639 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brookings, SD
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Brookings, SD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Brookings, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,639 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Brookings, SD $2,639

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,597 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Brookings, SD $3,597

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,556 in Brookings, SD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Brookings, SD $4,556

Seattle, WA costs about 43% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Brookings, SD sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Brookings, SD by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.36 $17.36

37.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$39.21 $39.21

151.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.52 $11.52

29.69%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.52 $4.52

50.22%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.46 $2.46

31.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.01 $2.01

56.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.85 $5.85

40.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.81 $6.81

15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.89 $0.89

31.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.68 $3.68

43.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$6.44 $6.44

-10.56%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.52 $3.52

38.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$10.38 $10.38

95.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.66 $13.66

31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$12.99 $12.99

79.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.72 $5.72

3.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.81 $1.81

4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.61 $6.61

-19.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.07 $5.07

29.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.46 $4.46

-23.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.27 $4.27

-32.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.28 $2.28

26.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.03 $2.03

19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.84 $12.84

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.05 $12.05

26.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.89 $2.89

51.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.81 $5.81

1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$4.90 $4.90

-48.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.67 $1.67

2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$23.75 $23.75

25.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.04 $1.04

45.19%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$29.6K $29.6K

22.39%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.75%

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

$289 $289

$184 $184

56.59%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$57.3 $57.3

20.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$69.4 $69.4

22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.03 $12.03

49.38%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,316 $1,316

114.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$36.7K $36.7K

19.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$42.51 $42.51

114.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$34.79 $34.79

58.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.7 $88.7

43.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$105 $105

54.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,715 $1,715

50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,459 $1,459

33.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,051 $2,051

148.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,107 $2,107

68.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,339 $2,339

214.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,374 $2,374

107.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

5.5

23.64%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Brookings, SD: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Brookings, SD

$1.5K 55.3% 24.9% $483

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Brookings, SD

$421 16% 22.6% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Brookings, SD

$311 11.8% 29.7% $132

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Brookings, SD

$288 10.9% 27.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Brookings, SD

$122 4.6% 37.9% $74

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Brookings, SD

$13 * 0.5% 90% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Brookings, SD

$24 * 0.9% 77.2% $81

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,715 in Brookings, SD. 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 $99 in Seattle, WA versus $39 in Brookings, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $421 – making Brookings, SD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brookings, SD

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

11:24 11:24 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

18,802

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Brookings, SD 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Brookings, SD

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 Brookings, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 43% more than Brookings, SD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,958 in Brookings, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brookings, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,715 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $39 in Brookings, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,639 in Brookings, SD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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