Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cape Girardeau, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Girardeau, MO: $2,120 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Cape Girardeau, MO
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Cape Girardeau, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Cape Girardeau, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Cape Girardeau, MO

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 Cape Girardeau, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Cape Girardeau, MO $2,120

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,261 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Cape Girardeau, MO $3,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,401 in Cape Girardeau, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Cape Girardeau, MO $4,401

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Cape Girardeau, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Cape Girardeau, MO 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.74 $17.74

42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$56.5 $56.5

78.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.79 $6.79

117.38%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.11 $6.11

6.38%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.62 $2.62

22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.80 $1.80

74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.01 $3.01

164.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.40 $7.40

9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.22 $2.22

138.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.34 $7.34

-12.81%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.92 $2.92

73.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.15 $15.15

23.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$18.68 $18.68

0.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$24.75 $24.75

-7.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.26 $3.26

85.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$11.47 $11.47

-51.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$8.96 $8.96

-27.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.16 $2.16

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$6.20 $6.20

-46.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.91 $2.91

-3.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.57 $2.57

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$7.68 $7.68

62.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.22 $12.22

21.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 $1.76

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$7.93 $7.93

-26.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.86 $0.86

63.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

31.69%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

6.47%

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

$308 $308

$196 $196

56.56%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$42.68 $42.68

62.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.4 $82.4

4.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$20.14 $20.14

279.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.82 $14.82

21.59%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$826 $826

232.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$44.41 $44.41

78.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.67 $40.67

33.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.2 $86.2

47.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$39.27 $39.27

304.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$798 $798

214.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$856 $856

126.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,578 $1,578

224.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,666 $1,666

112.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,505 $1,505

390.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,520 $1,520

228.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,411 $2,411

168.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.45

6.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cape Girardeau, MO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$856 40.4% 55.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$515 24.3% 5.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$322 15.2% 30.5% $141

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$283 13.4% 30.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$95 4.5% 49.8% $94

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Cape Girardeau, MO

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Cape Girardeau, MO

$50 2.4% 55.7% $63

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $56 in Cape Girardeau, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $515 per month, with Cape Girardeau, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Cape Girardeau, MO

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

37,941

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Cape Girardeau, MO 2,900 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Cape Girardeau, MO

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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 Cape Girardeau, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Girardeau, MO is about 44% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.7 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 $798 in Cape Girardeau, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO – Cape Girardeau, MO is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,120 in Cape Girardeau, MO versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cape Girardeau, MO but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Cape Girardeau, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Cape Girardeau, MO wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.