Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Colton, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,782 a month against $3,976 in Colton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Colton, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
191

Cost of Living Index in Colton, CA
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Colton, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Colton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Colton, CA

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 Colton, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,976 in Colton, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Colton, CA $3,976

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,426 in Colton, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Colton, CA $5,426

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,875 in Colton, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Colton, CA $6,875

Seattle, WA is about 5% cheaper than Colton, CA.

Both Seattle, WA and Colton, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Colton, CA by 193%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.14 $25.14

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$80.5 $80.5

21.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.04 $15.04

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.02 $6.02

8.31%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.04 $3.04

6.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.42 $2.42

30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.88 $7.88

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.81 $9.81

-18.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.27 $1.27

-4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.95 $4.95

3.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.50 $4.50

34.44%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.51 $5.51

-11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.40 $11.40

68.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$16.16 $16.16

17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.97 $19.97

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.22 $5.22

14.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.29 $2.29

-15.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.90 $4.90

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.51 $5.51

19.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.37 $3.37

7.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.79 $2.79

18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.03 $2.03

36.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.91 $11.91

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.03 $15.03

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.80 $2.80

50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.64 $3.64

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$7.16 $7.16

-58.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$80.5 $80.5

32.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.16 $3.16

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.80 $1.80

-4.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.60 $32.60

-8.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.46 $1.46

2.05%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.4K $30.4K

18.02%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.19%

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

$302 $302

$266 $266

13.53%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$76.7 $76.7

-8.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$79.9 $79.9

6.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$35.47 $35.47

119.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$18.09 $18.09

-1.38%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,203 $1,203

147.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$32.4K $32.4K

-3.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$63.1 $63.1

21.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.16 $48.16

12.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$116 $116

10.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$121 $121

35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,896 $1,896

28.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,336 $2,336

-16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,074 $3,074

54.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,339 $3,339

3.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$9,778 $9,778

-24.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$8,283 $8,283

-21.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Colton, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Colton, CA

$2.3K 58.8% 20% $390

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Colton, CA

$469 11.8% 14.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Colton, CA

$422 10.6% 7.6% $35

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Colton, CA

$399 10% 0.1% $0.3

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Colton, CA

$157 3.9% 17.8% $34

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Colton, CA

$121 3.1% 6.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Colton, CA

$72 1.8% 36.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,896 in Colton, CA. 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 27% higher in Colton, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Seattle, WA versus $81 in Colton, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $469 – making Colton, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Colton, CA

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

51,427

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Colton, CA 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Colton, CA

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 Colton, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colton, CA costs about 5% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. 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 $5,964 in Colton, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Colton, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,896 there versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Seattle, WA and $81 in Colton, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,976 in Colton, CA. That’s a gap of about 5%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,976 in Colton, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,782 in Seattle, WA to $3,976 in Colton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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