Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Clearwater, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Clearwater, FL: $2,966 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
143

Cost of Living Index in Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Clearwater, FL

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 Clearwater, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,966 in Clearwater, FL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Clearwater, FL $2,966

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,418 in Clearwater, FL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Clearwater, FL $4,418

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,870 in Clearwater, FL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Clearwater, FL $5,870

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 28% more expensive than in Clearwater, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Clearwater, FL 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.13 $17.13

47.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$68.5 $68.5

47.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.70 $11.70

26.15%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.94 $4.94

31.58%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.27 $2.27

41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.82 $1.82

72.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.48 $5.48

45.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.07 $8.07

0.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.75 $3.75

41.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.42 $4.42

44.80%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.03 $4.03

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.81 $10.81

73.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.43 $14.43

29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.67 $19.67

16.32%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.50 $6.50

-6.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.47 $1.47

32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.07 $6.07

-9.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.16 $6.16

5.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.66 $4.66

-25.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.88 $3.88

-15.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.58 $2.58

8.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.69 $2.69

-4.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.10 $9.10

37.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.81 $16.81

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.81 $1.81

131.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.63 $4.63

25.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.94 $2.94

3.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$80.7 $80.7

31.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.31 $3.31

-22.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.66 $0.66

148.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$61.2 $61.2

-50.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

32.56%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.02%

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

$308 $308

$249 $249

23.40%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$55.4 $55.4

24.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$75.7 $75.7

13.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.23 $37.23

105.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$25.09 $25.09

41.49%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.03 $16.03

12.41%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,252 $1,252

119.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$75.3 $75.3

5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$54.4 $54.4

-0.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$108 $108

17.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$140 $140

13.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,973 $1,973

27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,499 $1,499

29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,204 $3,204

59.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,708 $2,708

30.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,115 $3,115

136.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,528 $2,528

97.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,695 $3,695

75.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Clearwater, FL: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Clearwater, FL

$1.5K 50.5% 22.7% $439

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Clearwater, FL

$457 15.4% 16.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Clearwater, FL

$380 12.8% 17.8% $82

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Clearwater, FL

$291 9.8% 28.3% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Clearwater, FL

$170 5.7% 9.9% $19

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Clearwater, FL

$99 3.3% 23.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Clearwater, FL

$69 2.3% 38.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,973 in Clearwater, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 75% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $68 in Clearwater, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $457 per month, with Clearwater, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL

🕒 Local time

16:47 4:47 PM

19:47 7:47 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

107,742

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Clearwater, FL 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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 Clearwater, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Clearwater, FL is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $1,973 in Clearwater, FL. 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 $2,966 in Clearwater, FL – Clearwater, FL is about 22% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Clearwater, FL runs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Clearwater, FL 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.

Expats usually find Clearwater, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.