Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Chapel Hill, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Chapel Hill, NC: $2,851 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
137

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,851

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Chapel Hill, 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 Chapel Hill, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Chapel Hill, NC $2,851

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,314 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Chapel Hill, NC $4,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,777 in Chapel Hill, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Chapel Hill, NC $5,777

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 33% more expensive than in Chapel Hill, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Chapel Hill, NC 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.13 $18.13

39.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$91.5 $91.5

10.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.98 $9.98

47.90%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.61 $4.61

41.00%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.83 $2.83

13.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.02 $2.02

55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.83 $5.83

36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.89 $6.89

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.18 $1.18

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.58 $4.58

15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$9.64 $9.64

-33.61%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.46 $5.46

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.41 $18.41

1.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.59 $13.59

37.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$27.26 $27.26

-16.07%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.75 $7.75

-21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 $1.86

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.87 $6.87

-19.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.02 $6.02

8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.68 $4.68

-25.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.08 $4.08

-19.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.72 $2.72

2.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.89 $8.89

40.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.16 $15.16

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.63 $1.63

157.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.90 $3.90

48.72%

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

$2.04 $2.04

26.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.26 $2.26

-27.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$14.82 $14.82

103.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.2K $30.2K

21.91%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.23%

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

$308 $308

$221 $221

38.90%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.5 $51.5

34.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$69.9 $69.9

23.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$66.4 $66.4

15.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.72 $13.72

31.34%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,380 $1,380

98.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$9,932 $9,932

207.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$38.35 $38.35

106.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$31.64 $31.64

71.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

24.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$135 $135

17.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,015 $2,015

24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,436 $1,436

34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,455 $3,455

48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,574 $2,574

37.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,195 $3,195

130.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,512 $2,512

99.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,481 $5,481

18.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.4K 50.4% 25.9% $502

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Chapel Hill, NC

$534 18.7% 2.4% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Chapel Hill, NC

$343 12% 25.9% $120

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Chapel Hill, NC

$293 10.3% 28% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Chapel Hill, NC

$138 4.9% 26.7% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Chapel Hill, NC

$13 * 0.5% 89.7% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Chapel Hill, NC

$94 3.3% 16.6% $19

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 $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 18% 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 $91 in Chapel Hill, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $534 per month, with Chapel Hill, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

23:38 11:38 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

61,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Chapel Hill, NC 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Chapel Hill, NC

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 Chapel Hill, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapel Hill, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Chapel Hill, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,851 in Chapel Hill, NC – Chapel Hill, NC is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Chapel Hill, NC – a meal for two runs $91 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chapel Hill, NC 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.

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