Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $32,300 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Cali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,054 in Cali.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Cali $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $1,614 in Cali.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Cali $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $2,174 in Cali.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Cali $2,174

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 255% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 179% above, Cali is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$7.26 COP 23.4K

238.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$37.04 COP 119.3K

168.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$8.05 COP 25.9K

90.06%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$1.54 COP 4,972

329.87%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.25 COP 4,027

160.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$0.84 COP 2,702

270.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.16 COP 10.2K

145.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.58 COP 11.5K

121.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.55 COP 4,998

-21.94%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$1.87 COP 6,026

164.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$1.50 COP 4,822

311.33%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.77 COP 8,907

79.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$6.40 COP 20.6K

196.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$6.89 COP 22.2K

171.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$9.92 COP 31.9K

133.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.43 COP 11.0K

72.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.30 COP 4,186

49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$1.76 COP 5,659

194.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$1.68 COP 5,421

289.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.47 COP 4,730

146.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.47 COP 4,722

114.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.10 COP 3,551

164.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.93 COP 3,004

155.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$3.63 COP 11.7K

240.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.56 COP 40.5K

19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.42 COP 4,565

202.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.40 COP 7,712

137.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.05 COP 3,370

190.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$29.00 COP 93.4K

274.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$0.83 COP 2,664

218.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.25 COP 4,040

16.80%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$33.7K COP 108.5M

-23.80%

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

$299 $299

$111 COP 358.1K

169.24%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$12.79 COP 41.2K

444.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$29.75 COP 95.8K

202.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$28.38 COP 91.4K

181.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$8.24 COP 26.5K

110.32%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$75.8 COP 243.9K

2.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$53.8 COP 173.3K

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$122 COP 394.4K

2.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$109 COP 350.7K

51.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$638 COP 2.1M

277.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$291 COP 937.4K

574.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,498 COP 4.8M

219.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$479 COP 1.5M

643.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$567 COP 1.8M

1007.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

11.58

-40.85%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Cali

$291 27.6% 85.2% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Cali

$235 22.3% 56.5% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Cali

$154 14.6% 66.5% $305

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Cali

$132 12.5% 67.1% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Cali

$162 15.4% 14.8% $28

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Cali

$34 * 3.2% 74.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Cali

$45 4.3% 60.9% $70

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $638 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 1008% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $235 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,568,609

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Cali 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Cali

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 255% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1008% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $638 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 274% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.