Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cambridge, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cambridge, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
223

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Cambridge, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,661 in Cambridge, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Cambridge, MA $4,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,329 in Cambridge, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Cambridge, MA $6,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $7,997 in Cambridge, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Cambridge, MA $7,997

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 19% less than in Cambridge, MA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Cambridge, MA 242% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.72 $19.72

28.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$99.9 $99.9

0.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.91 $11.91

23.93%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.18 $5.18

25.48%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.10 $3.10

3.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.30 $2.30

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.81 $7.81

4.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.16 $1.16

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.58 $4.58

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.94 $6.94

-7.78%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.86 $4.86

4.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.87 $15.87

17.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.36 $14.36

30.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.52 $19.52

17.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.46 $6.46

-6.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 $1.64

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.13 $6.13

-10.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$7.08 $7.08

-7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.56 $4.56

-23.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.64 $3.64

-9.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.90 $2.90

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.51 $2.51

2.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.18 $13.18

-5.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.64 $15.64

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.95 $1.95

114.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.50 $4.50

28.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.47 $2.47

23.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$90.8 $90.8

16.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.01 $2.01

28.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.57 $1.57

4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$10.86 $10.86

177.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.11 $1.11

27.03%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

31.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.51%

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

$308 $308

$227 $227

35.56%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$54.2 $54.2

27.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$78.8 $78.8

9.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$73.5 $73.5

3.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$29.77 $29.77

19.25%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.02 $15.02

19.97%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,664 $2,664

3.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.3K $36.3K

-15.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$75.0 $75.0

5.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.6 $50.6

7.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$103 $103

22.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$142 $142

12.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,759 $3,759

-33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$3,090 $3,090

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,380 $5,380

-4.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,441 $4,441

-20.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$7,645 $7,645

-3.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$6,058 $6,058

-17.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,467 $6,467

0.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.5

6.00%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Cambridge, MA

$3.1K 66.3% 59.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Cambridge, MA

$497 10.7% 9.1% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Cambridge, MA

$360 7.7% 22.2% $103

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Cambridge, MA

$333 7.1% 18.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Cambridge, MA

$167 3.6% 11.6% $22

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.4% 14.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.2% 7.9% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $3,759 in Cambridge, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $100 in Cambridge, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $497 per month, with Cambridge, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

105,162

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Cambridge, MA 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Cambridge, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $6,991 in Cambridge, MA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $3,759 in Cambridge, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,664 in Cambridge, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Cambridge, MA runs roughly 14% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.