Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Brownsville, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Brownsville, TX
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Brownsville, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Brownsville, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,752

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Brownsville, TX $1,752

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,612 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Brownsville, TX $2,612

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,472 in Brownsville, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Brownsville, TX $3,472

Seattle, WA costs about 116% more than Brownsville, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Brownsville, TX sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Brownsville, TX by 29%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$10.13 $10.13

149.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$59.9 $59.9

68.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.95 $7.95

85.66%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.03 $4.03

61.29%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.03 $2.03

58.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.01 $2.01

56.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.05 $5.05

57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.10 $5.10

59.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.85 $0.85

37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.24 $2.24

136.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.22 $2.22

188.29%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.83 $2.83

78.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.32 $9.32

100.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.84 $12.84

45.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$9.11 $9.11

151.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.61 $2.61

132.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.29 $2.29

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.67 $1.67

229.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$1.98 $1.98

229.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.90 $2.90

20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.07 $1.07

207.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.01 $1.01

177.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.02 $1.02

152.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.57 $9.57

30.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$7.35 $7.35

102.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.05 $2.05

104.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.23 $2.23

160.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.15 $4.15

-37.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.77 $0.77

112.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.86 $0.86

63.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.9K $28.9K

27.27%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.3K $24.3K

9.31%

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

$308 $308

$162 $162

90.33%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$37.04 $37.04

86.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$67.4 $67.4

27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$49.89 $49.89

53.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.78 $11.78

52.97%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$595 $595

361.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$78.7 $78.7

0.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.47 $44.47

22.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$75.8 $75.8

67.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$96.5 $96.5

64.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$944 $944

165.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$796 $796

143.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,656 $1,656

208.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,384 $1,384

156.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,860 $1,860

296.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,856 $1,856

169.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,159 $3,159

104.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Brownsville, TX

$796 45.5% 58.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Brownsville, TX

$271 15.4% 50.5% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Brownsville, TX

$266 15.2% 42.5% $197

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Brownsville, TX

$205 11.7% 49.6% $201

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Brownsville, TX

$133 7.6% 29.5% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Brownsville, TX

$8 * 0.5% 93.8% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Brownsville, TX

$73 4.2% 34.7% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $944 in Brownsville, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 2 times higher, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $60 in Brownsville, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $271 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

04:43 4:43 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

186,738

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Brownsville, TX 3,250 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Brownsville, TX

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 Brownsville, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $1,752 in Brownsville, TX – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 54% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,628 in Brownsville, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,752 in Brownsville, TX. That makes Brownsville, TX about 54% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $595 in Brownsville, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Brownsville, TX, where all-in costs run around $1,752, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Brownsville, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Brownsville, TX. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.