Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, VT: $3,098 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $3,098 in Burlington, VT.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Burlington, VT $3,098

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $4,642 in Burlington, VT.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Burlington, VT $4,642

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $6,187 in Burlington, VT.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Burlington, VT $6,187

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 21% more expensive than in Burlington, VT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Burlington, VT 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$22.36 $22.36

6.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$79.7 $79.7

23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.21 $12.21

22.36%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.03 $5.03

34.99%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.89 $2.89

11.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.37 $2.37

32.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.15 $8.15

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.22 $8.22

-4.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.26 $1.26

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.59 $4.59

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$5.91 $5.91

-2.54%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.48 $4.48

9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$15.38 $15.38

31.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$12.25 $12.25

46.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.07 $19.07

22.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$7.25 $7.25

-18.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.03 $2.03

-6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.49 $5.49

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$7.37 $7.37

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.41 $4.41

-23.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.95 $3.95

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.02 $3.02

-4.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.85 $2.85

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.26 $12.26

-0.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.20 $15.20

0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.78 $1.78

146.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.46 $4.46

32.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.98 $1.98

49.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$50.8 $50.8

115.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.55 $2.55

-1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.79 $1.79

-3.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.73 $27.73

7.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.14 $1.14

32.46%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

32.47%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.41%

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

$289 $289

$151 $151

91.29%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$55.6 $55.6

24.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$62.1 $62.1

36.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$64.0 $64.0

8.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$28.22 $28.22

24.20%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.15 $12.15

47.90%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,267 $1,267

122.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$21.1K $21.1K

108.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$59.7 $59.7

52.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$51.3 $51.3

7.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$70.2 $70.2

81.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$155 $155

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$2,426 $2,426

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,678 $1,678

15.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$3,601 $3,601

41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,943 $2,943

20.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,831 $3,831

92.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,217 $3,217

52.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,442 $4,442

45.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.7

1.49%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Burlington, VT: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Burlington, VT

$1.7K 54.2% 13.6% $265

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Burlington, VT

$487 15.7% 10.4% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Burlington, VT

$269 8.7% 39.3% $174

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Burlington, VT

$354 11.4% 11.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Burlington, VT

$151 4.9% 22.8% $45

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Burlington, VT

$70 2.3% 46.9% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Burlington, VT

$88 2.9% 16.3% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $80 in Burlington, VT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $487 per month, with Burlington, VT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🕒 Local time

14:16 2:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Burlington, VT 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Burlington, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, VT is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 45% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $2,426 in Burlington, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burlington, VT runs roughly 54% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $1,267 in Burlington, VT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Burlington, VT is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Burlington, VT is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Burlington, VT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.