Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Butte, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Butte, MT: $1,848 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Butte, MT
Learn more

Butte, MT Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Butte, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Butte, MT

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,848 in Butte, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Butte, MT $1,848

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,812 in Butte, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Butte, MT $2,812

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,777 in Butte, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Butte, MT $3,777

Seattle, WA costs about 105% more than Butte, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Butte, MT sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Butte, MT by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.71 $14.71

66.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$60.5 $60.5

62.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.68 $9.68

52.79%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.40 $4.40

48.18%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.08 $2.08

55.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.44 $2.44

29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.04 $3.04

158.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.10 $5.10

57.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.42 $2.42

112.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.89 $4.89

23.72%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.82 $3.82

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$6.44 $6.44

197.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.34 $7.34

157.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.88 $18.88

23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.05 $5.05

18.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.42 $1.42

35.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$1.75 $1.75

200.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.21 $2.21

197.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$0.57 $0.57

535.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.21 $2.21

49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.78 $1.78

56.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.46 $1.46

71.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.85 $7.85

55.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$9.37 $9.37

58.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.93 $1.93

118.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.30 $2.30

150.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.03 $5.03

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.64 $0.64

168.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$9.81 $9.81

202.96%

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

$32.1K $32.1K

11.69%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

7.18%

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

$302 $302

$137 $137

120.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$24.92 $24.92

181.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$68.4 $68.4

24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$10.48 $10.48

70.23%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,974 $1,974

50.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$14.2K $14.2K

120.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$64.8 $64.8

18.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.42 $43.42

24.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$104 $104

22.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$148 $148

10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,009 $1,009

142.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$884 $884

120.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,835 $1,835

158.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,619 $1,619

114.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,237 $2,237

229.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,272 $2,272

125.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,849 $3,849

69.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.25

10.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Butte, MT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Butte, MT

$884 47.9% 54.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Butte, MT

$298 16.2% 45.3% $247

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Butte, MT

$230 12.5% 49.7% $227

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Butte, MT

$243 13.2% 39.2% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Butte, MT

$162 8.8% 14.6% $28

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Butte, MT

$8.2 * 0.5% 93.6% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Butte, MT

$21 * 1.1% 81.5% $93

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 $1,009 in Butte, MT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $60.0 in Butte, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $298 – making Butte, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Butte, MT

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

04:19 4:19 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

35,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Butte, MT 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Butte, MT

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 Butte, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 105% more than Butte, MT, 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 $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,772 in Butte, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $60.0 in Butte, MT. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 83% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Butte, MT, where all-in costs run around $1,848, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Butte, MT it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Butte, MT costs $1,848 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Butte, MT. 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.