Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and College Station, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in College Station, TX: $2,100 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
102

Cost of Living Index in College Station, TX
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College Station, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

College Station, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in College Station, TX

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 Station, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,100 in College Station, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,782
College Station, TX $2,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,153 in College Station, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,636
College Station, TX $3,153

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,207 in College Station, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,489
College Station, TX $4,207

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 80% more expensive than in College Station, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, College Station, TX 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.98 $14.98

63.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$77.9 $77.9

26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.08 $12.08

22.43%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.39 $5.39

20.96%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.96 $2.96

9.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.80 $1.80

76.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.03 $5.03

56.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.36 $7.36

9.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.75 $0.75

61.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.15 $3.15

63.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.79 $3.79

59.63%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.92 $2.92

67.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.82 $11.82

62.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.81 $9.81

92.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$12.96 $12.96

79.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.33 $6.33

-5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.62 $1.62

19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.43 $6.43

-18.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.94 $4.94

33.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.07 $4.07

-11.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.98 $2.98

11.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.76 $1.76

57.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.80 $1.80

39.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.89 $9.89

23.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.84 $13.84

7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.71 $1.71

146.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.86 $3.86

49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.02 $1.02

189.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$20.29 $20.29

423.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$10.08 $10.08

-73.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.90 $1.90

-9.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$59.1 $59.1

-49.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

30.21%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

-0.00%

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

$302 $302

$180 $180

67.36%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$40.02 $40.02

75.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$55.4 $55.4

54.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$24.85 $24.85

213.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$17.24 $17.24

100.58%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.16 $11.16

59.86%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$761 $761

290.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$18.1K $18.1K

73.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$59.4 $59.4

28.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.19 $38.19

41.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$82.8 $82.8

54.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$123 $123

33.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,131 $1,131

116.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$945 $945

105.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,946 $1,946

143.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,585 $1,585

118.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,185 $2,185

237.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,996 $1,996

156.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,396 $4,396

48.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for College Station, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

College Station, TX

$945 45% 51.4% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

College Station, TX

$372 17.7% 31.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

College Station, TX

$276 13.1% 39.7% $181

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

College Station, TX

$280 13.3% 30% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

College Station, TX

$136 6.5% 28.4% $54

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

College Station, TX

$44 2.1% 66% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

College Station, TX

$47 2.3% 58.4% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,131 in College Station, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 48% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $78.0 in College Station, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $372 per month, with College Station, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 College Station, TX

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

07:26 7:26 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

120,511

💱 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 College Station, TX 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
College Station, TX

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 Station, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

College Station, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making College Station, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,131 in College Station, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in College Station, TX runs roughly 424% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $761 in College Station, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,100 in College Station, TX versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in College Station, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes College Station, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but College Station, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,100 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes College Station, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find College Station, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.