Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Cary, NC: $2,842 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Cary, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,842 in Cary, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Cary, NC $2,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,173 in Cary, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Cary, NC $4,173

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,505 in Cary, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Cary, NC $5,505

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$19.35 $19.35

30.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$99.3 $99.3

2.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.42 $10.42

42.51%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.06 $5.06

30.24%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.03 $2.03

58.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.85 $1.85

69.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.51 $4.51

81.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.39 $6.39

25.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.51 $5.51

-7.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$6.18 $6.18

1.94%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.02 $4.02

21.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$17.74 $17.74

7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$16.62 $16.62

11.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$17.96 $17.96

28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.25 $6.25

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 $1.93

1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.75 $3.75

41.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.90 $6.90

-6.09%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.25 $3.25

9.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.17 $4.17

-24.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.97 $2.97

-4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.38 $2.38

1.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.06 $10.06

26.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$9.71 $9.71

54.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.33 $2.33

78.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.04 $4.04

48.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.53 $2.53

20.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$78.7 $78.7

39.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.93 $0.93

52.69%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$28.7K $28.7K

-10.82%

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

$299 $299

$179 $179

67.18%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$47.18 $47.18

50.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$67.6 $67.6

30.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$77.8 $77.8

2.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$21.88 $21.88

61.65%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.26 $15.26

12.19%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,455 $1,455

107.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$65.9 $65.9

17.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$32.18 $32.18

71.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$119 $119

5.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$137 $137

18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,904 $1,904

29.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,407 $1,407

38.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,710 $2,710

73.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,162 $2,162

64.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,859 $2,859

156.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,643 $2,643

91.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$6,032 $6,032

4.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.42

6.70%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5% 28.1% $549

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Cary, NC

$486 17.1% 10.2% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Cary, NC

$294 10.3% 35.9% $165

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Cary, NC

$298 10.5% 27.1% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Cary, NC

$160 5.6% 15.7% $30

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1% 33.2% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Cary, NC

$108 3.8% 4.8% $5.4

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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 4% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $99.0 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $486 per month, with Cary, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

07:28 7:28 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

176,987

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Cary, NC 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cary, NC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,904 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,455 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Cary, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cary, NC 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 Cary, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.