Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Burlington, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, NC: $2,604 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
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Burlington, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,604

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,604 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Burlington, NC $2,604

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,784 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Burlington, NC $3,784

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,963 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Burlington, NC $4,963

Seattle, WA costs about 45% more than Burlington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Burlington, NC sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Burlington, NC by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.93 $18.93

29.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.7 $74.7

31.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.89 $10.89

35.81%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.23 $5.23

24.67%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.51 $2.51

28.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.06 $2.06

53.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.14 $6.14

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.80 $6.80

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.57 $3.57

43.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.35 $4.35

39.08%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.22 $4.22

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.47 $12.47

53.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.29 $11.29

67.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.63 $15.63

49.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.02 $5.02

19.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.56 $1.56

23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.20 $4.20

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.81 $4.81

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.91 $2.91

24.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.76 $2.76

19.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.11 $2.11

31.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.08 $2.08

20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.37 $9.37

29.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.08 $14.08

5.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.85 $1.85

128.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.33 $3.33

73.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.40 $3.40

-22.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.65 $1.65

4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.99 $28.99

2.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.89 $0.89

67.42%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.9K $29.9K

20.17%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

3.12%

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

$302 $302

$191 $191

58.35%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$52.9 $52.9

32.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$67.0 $67.0

27.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.35 $42.35

83.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.34 $13.34

33.73%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,282 $1,282

131.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

31.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.0 $51.0

50.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.90 $39.90

35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$85.3 $85.3

50.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$112 $112

46.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,632 $1,632

49.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,378 $1,378

41.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,653 $2,653

78.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,241 $2,241

54.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,740 $2,740

168.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,417 $2,417

112.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Burlington, NC: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 52.9% 29.2% $569

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Burlington, NC

$388 14.9% 28.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Burlington, NC

$310 11.9% 32.1% $147

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Burlington, NC

$309 11.9% 22.6% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Burlington, NC

$130 5% 31.8% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Burlington, NC

$20 * 0.8% 84.7% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Burlington, NC

$69 2.7% 39.2% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,632 in Burlington, NC. 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $75.0 in Burlington, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $388 – making Burlington, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Burlington, NC 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,604 in Burlington, NC – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,907 in Burlington, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,604 in Burlington, NC. That's a gap of about 45%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,282 in Burlington, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,604 in Burlington, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,604 in Burlington, NC to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Burlington, NC. 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.