Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Cerritos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Cerritos, CA: $3,092 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Cerritos, CA
Learn more

Cerritos, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Cerritos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Cerritos, CA

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,092 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Cerritos, CA $3,092

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,252 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Cerritos, CA $3,252

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,413 in Cerritos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Cerritos, CA $3,413

Seattle, WA costs about 22% more than Cerritos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Cerritos, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Cerritos, CA by 128%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.09 $25.09

-2.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$102 $102

-3.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.89 $15.89

-6.92%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.58 $5.58

16.85%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.20 $3.20

0.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.79 $2.79

13.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.91 $7.91

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.82 $9.82

-18.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.92 $4.92

4.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.64 $4.64

30.39%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.61 $5.61

-13.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.68 $11.68

64.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.73 $8.73

116.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.88 $19.88

17.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.83 $4.83

24.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.41 $2.41

-19.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.31 $4.31

21.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.72 $5.72

14.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.35 $3.35

8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.78 $2.78

19.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.95 $11.95

1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.84 $14.84

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.44 $2.44

72.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.77 $2.77

108.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.11 $3.11

-14.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.80 $1.80

-4.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$31.88 $31.88

-6.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.55 $1.55

-3.87%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.5K $28.5K

25.77%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.47%

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

$302 $302

$215 $215

40.69%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$76.8 $76.8

-8.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$81.1 $81.1

5.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$120 $120

-35.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$19.89 $19.89

-10.31%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,179 $1,179

152.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$32.1K $32.1K

-2.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$62.8 $62.8

21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.61 $47.61

13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$115 $115

11.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$102 $102

60.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,989 $1,989

22.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,576 $1,576

23.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,540 $3,540

34.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cerritos, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Cerritos, CA

$1.6K 51% 19.1% $371

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Cerritos, CA

$427 13.8% 21.8% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Cerritos, CA

$372 12% 18.5% $85

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Cerritos, CA

$399 12.9% 0.3% $1.1

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Cerritos, CA

$147 4.8% 22.6% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Cerritos, CA

$12 * 0.4% 90.6% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Cerritos, CA

$160 5.2% 40.7% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,989 in Cerritos, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $102 in Cerritos, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $427 in Cerritos, CA – so Cerritos, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Cerritos, CA

🕒 Local time

14:53 2:53 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

49,041

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Cerritos, CA 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Cerritos, CA

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 Cerritos, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $3,092 in Cerritos, CA – roughly 22% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,638 in Cerritos, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cerritos, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $102 in Cerritos, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,092 in Cerritos, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,092 in Cerritos, CA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cerritos, CA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.