Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and College Park, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in College Park, MD: $3,340 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. The total is higher in Seattle, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in College Park, MD
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College Park, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

College Park, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in College Park, 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 College Park, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,340 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
College Park, MD $3,340

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,574 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
College Park, MD $4,574

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,807 in College Park, MD, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
College Park, MD $5,807

Seattle, WA costs about 13% more than College Park, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and College Park, MD sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, College Park, MD by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.75 $15.75

60.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$71.4 $71.4

41.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.81 $9.81

50.46%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.41 $4.41

47.39%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.69 $2.69

19.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.74 $1.74

80.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.31 $6.31

26.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.97 $5.97

36.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.50 $2.50

112.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.42 $5.42

18.08%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.08 $2.08

143.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$6.38 $6.38

193.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.49 $6.49

188.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.86 $19.86

15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.40 $6.40

-5.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 $1.27

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.43 $7.43

-25.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.50 $5.50

18.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.90 $4.90

-28.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.37 $3.37

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.99 $0.99

182.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.12 $3.12

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.66 $9.66

29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.01 $12.01

23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.67 $3.67

58.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.07 $4.07

-36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.97 $1.97

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.59 $24.59

22.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.8K $29.8K

23.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.51%

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

$308 $308

$240 $240

28.33%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.3 $50.3

37.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.6 $68.6

25.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$39.41 $39.41

93.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.93 $14.93

20.70%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,016 $2,016

36.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.66 $47.66

66.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$32.48 $32.48

67.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$117 $117

8.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$136 $136

17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,304 $2,304

8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,093 $2,093

-7.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,930 $3,930

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,113 $3,113

13.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,262 $6,262

3.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.23

10.59%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for College Park, MD: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

College Park, MD

$2.1K 62.7% 8% $154

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

College Park, MD

$374 11.2% 31.5% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

College Park, MD

$359 10.7% 22.5% $104

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

College Park, MD

$270 8.1% 33.6% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

College Park, MD

$150 4.5% 20.6% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

College Park, MD

$26 * 0.8% 79.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

College Park, MD

$69 2.1% 38.4% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,304 in College Park, MD. 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 3% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $71 in College Park, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $374 – making College Park, MD the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 College Park, MD

🕒 Local time

19:19 7:19 PM

22:19 10:19 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

34,740

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA College Park, MD 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
College Park, 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 College Park, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $3,340 in College Park, MD – College Park, MD comes out roughly 12% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,011 in College Park, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,304 in College Park, MD. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,340 in College Park, MD. That makes College Park, MD about 12% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,016 in College Park, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,340 in College Park, MD. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward College Park, MD – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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