Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Caldwell, TX: $2,449 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Caldwell, TX
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Caldwell, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Caldwell, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,449

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Caldwell, 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 Caldwell, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Caldwell, TX $2,449

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,548 in Caldwell, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Caldwell, TX $3,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,647 in Caldwell, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Caldwell, TX $4,647

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 55% more expensive than in Caldwell, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Caldwell, TX 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.88 $14.88

70.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.4 $60.4

67.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.88 $9.88

49.39%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.97 $3.97

63.73%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.47 $1.47

118.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.73 $1.73

81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.13 $5.13

55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.05 $6.05

34.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.77 $0.77

51.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.71 $2.71

95.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.96 $3.96

61.62%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.92 $2.92

73.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.95 $10.95

70.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.64 $15.64

19.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$24.53 $24.53

-6.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.39 $4.39

38.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.77 $1.77

10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.44 $4.44

24.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.66 $2.66

145.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.16 $2.16

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.73 $1.73

90.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.05 $2.05

36.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.61 $9.61

29.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$10.68 $10.68

39.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.68 $1.68

149.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.56 $3.56

62.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.96 $1.96

55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$51.0 $51.0

107.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.33 $3.33

-22.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.65 $1.65

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$26.34 $26.34

14.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.94 $0.94

50.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

38.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.57%

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

$308 $308

$173 $173

77.59%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$25.30 $25.30

173.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.5 $68.5

25.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$40.60 $40.60

88.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$9.85 $9.85

260.41%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.96 $14.96

20.45%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,521 $1,521

80.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

24.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$22.35 $22.35

254.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$56.1 $56.1

-3.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$64.9 $64.9

95.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$96.4 $96.4

64.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,565 $1,565

60.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,297 $1,297

49.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,531 $2,531

102.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,115 $2,115

67.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,784 $2,784

164.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,330 $2,330

114.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$1,333 $1,333

385.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Caldwell, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Caldwell, TX

$1.3K 53% 33.1% $642

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Caldwell, TX

$389 15.9% 28.8% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Caldwell, TX

$267 10.9% 42.3% $196

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Caldwell, TX

$247 10.1% 39.2% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Caldwell, TX

$108 4.4% 42.8% $81

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Caldwell, TX

$70 2.9% 45.4% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Caldwell, TX

$71 2.9% 37.3% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 4.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $60 in Caldwell, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $389 per month, with Caldwell, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Caldwell, TX

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

59,996

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Caldwell, TX 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Caldwell, 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 Caldwell, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caldwell, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Caldwell, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 4.9 times higher, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,565 in Caldwell, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Caldwell, TX – a meal for two runs $60 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,449 in Caldwell, TX – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Caldwell, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Caldwell, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.