Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Chattanooga, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Chattanooga, TN: $2,611 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
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Chattanooga, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Chattanooga, TN

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 Chattanooga, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Chattanooga, TN $2,611

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,850 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Chattanooga, TN $3,850

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,089 in Chattanooga, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Chattanooga, TN $5,089

Seattle, WA costs about 45% more than Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Chattanooga, TN sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Chattanooga, TN by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.63 $19.63

24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$99.2 $99.2

-1.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.15 $11.15

32.65%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.35 $5.35

21.87%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.34 $2.34

38.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.08 $2.08

52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.14 $6.14

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.49 $7.49

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.60 $3.60

42.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.98 $3.98

52.01%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.19 $4.19

16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$14.24 $14.24

34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.91 $14.91

26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$13.45 $13.45

73.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.41 $6.41

-6.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.66 $1.66

16.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.24 $4.24

23.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.26 $4.26

54.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.76 $2.76

31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.60 $3.60

-8.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.69 $2.69

3.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.72 $2.72

-7.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.27 $9.27

31.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.64 $17.64

-15.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.01 $2.01

109.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.25 $3.25

77.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.94 $1.94

52.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$49.71 $49.71

113.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.14 $5.14

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.92 $1.92

-10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$30.07 $30.07

-1.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.96 $0.96

55.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

30.15%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.16%

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

$302 $302

$159 $159

90.02%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$82.9 $82.9

-15.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.2 $75.2

13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.22 $39.22

98.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$3.95 $3.95

775.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.02 $15.02

18.77%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,086 $1,086

173.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.7K $24.7K

26.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$41.44 $41.44

84.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.80 $38.80

39.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$99.9 $99.9

28.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$118 $118

38.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,707 $1,707

43.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,272 $1,272

53.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,190 $3,190

48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,984 $1,984

74.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,249 $2,249

227.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,273 $2,273

125.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,984 $3,984

63.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.63

3.92%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Chattanooga, TN

$1.3K 48.7% 34.7% $675

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Chattanooga, TN

$429 16.4% 21.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Chattanooga, TN

$317 12.1% 30.7% $140

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Chattanooga, TN

$318 12.2% 20.4% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Chattanooga, TN

$134 5.2% 29.4% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Chattanooga, TN

$72 2.8% 44.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Chattanooga, TN

$69 2.7% 39% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 63% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $99.0 in Chattanooga, TN. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $429 in Chattanooga, TN – so Chattanooga, TN wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

176,588

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Chattanooga, TN 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Chattanooga, TN

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 Chattanooga, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 45% more than Chattanooga, TN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,917 in Chattanooga, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN. That's a gap of about 45%.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Chattanooga, TN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chattanooga, TN costs $2,611 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chattanooga, TN. 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.