Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Chevy Chase, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Chevy Chase, MD: $3,535 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. The total is higher in Seattle, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
Learn more

Chevy Chase, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Chevy Chase, MD $3,535

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,617 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Chevy Chase, MD $4,617

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,699 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Chevy Chase, MD $5,699

Seattle, WA costs about 8% more than Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Chevy Chase, MD sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Chevy Chase, MD by 162%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$23.84 $23.84

6.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$100 $100

1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.88 $10.88

36.49%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.70 $5.70

15.61%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.99 $2.99

7.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.44 $2.44

28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.90 $7.90

3.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.10 $9.10

-11.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.22 $1.22

-0.82%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.46 $4.46

14.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.46 $5.46

15.38%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.07 $5.07

-3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$21.40 $21.40

-10.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$15.53 $15.53

19.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$23.24 $23.24

-0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.54 $5.54

4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.82 $1.82

7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.60 $4.60

15.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.95 $5.95

8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.21 $3.21

11.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.78 $3.78

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.34 $2.34

21.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.57 $2.57

-5.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.42 $10.42

22.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$17.09 $17.09

-12.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.86 $2.86

45.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.95 $2.95

103.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.17 $2.17

40.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.07 $4.07

-37.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.27 $1.27

29.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$25.05 $25.05

18.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.00 $1.00

42.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$34.3K $34.3K

4.35%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.62%

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

$299 $299

$163 $163

83.75%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$51.0 $51.0

38.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$62.5 $62.5

41.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$37.93 $37.93

109.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$16.66 $16.66

2.76%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,586 $1,586

90.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$20.0K $20.0K

57.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$55.7 $55.7

38.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$63.1 $63.1

-12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

24.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$166 $166

-2.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,555 $2,555

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$2,114 $2,114

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$4,195 $4,195

12.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,376 $2,376

49.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,777 $2,777

164.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,399 $2,399

110.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.79

0.88%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8% 8.1% $158

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4% 6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8% 39.7% $182

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5% 9.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9% 8.3% $16

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5% 85.6% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2% 37.4% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $100 in Chevy Chase, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $509 – making Chevy Chase, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

3,000

💱 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 Chevy Chase, MD 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Chevy Chase, MD

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 Chevy Chase, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 8% more than Chevy Chase, MD, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,302 in Chevy Chase, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chevy Chase, MD, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. That's a gap of about 8%.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,586 in Chevy Chase, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chevy Chase, MD costs $3,535 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Chevy Chase, MD. 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.