Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Columbia, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, MO: $2,049 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, MO
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Columbia, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Columbia, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,049

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Columbia, MO

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 Columbia, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,049 in Columbia, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Columbia, MO $2,049

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,865 in Columbia, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Columbia, MO $2,865

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,682 in Columbia, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Columbia, MO $3,682

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 85% more expensive than in Columbia, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Columbia, MO 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$16.12 $16.12

52.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$73.2 $73.2

34.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.84 $11.84

24.92%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.72 $4.72

38.14%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.47 $2.47

30.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.16 $2.16

46.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.07 $5.07

54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.56 $5.56

44.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.09 $1.09

11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.80 $2.80

83.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.33 $4.33

39.72%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.40 $3.40

43.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.34 $11.34

69.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.01 $12.01

57.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.16 $14.16

64.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.06 $4.06

47.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.91 $1.91

1.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.47 $4.47

17.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.57 $4.57

43.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.85 $2.85

27.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.59 $2.59

27.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.66 $1.66

67.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.04 $2.04

23.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.01 $8.01

52.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$16.74 $16.74

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 $1.96

115.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.36 $2.36

144.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.76 $4.76

-44.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.01 $1.01

70.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$22.83 $22.83

30.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 $1.05

41.90%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$35.7K $35.7K

0.49%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.80%

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

$302 $302

$179 $179

68.55%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$46.85 $46.85

49.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$57.6 $57.6

48.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$30.12 $30.12

158.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$23.35 $23.35

48.09%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.91 $12.91

38.19%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,185 $1,185

150.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.9K $12.9K

141.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$48.26 $48.26

58.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$33.10 $33.10

63.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$94.2 $94.2

36.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$86.3 $86.3

90.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,221 $1,221

100.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$934 $934

108.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,814 $1,814

161.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,170 $1,170

196.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,061 $2,061

257.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,877 $1,877

173.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,084 $4,084

59.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.54

5.35%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Columbia, MO: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Columbia, MO

$934 45.6% 52% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Columbia, MO

$372 18.1% 31.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Columbia, MO

$284 13.8% 38% $174

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Columbia, MO

$276 13.5% 30.9% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Columbia, MO

$118 5.8% 38.1% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Columbia, MO

$9.8 * 0.5% 92.4% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Columbia, MO

$56 2.7% 50.7% $58

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,221 in Columbia, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 59% 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 $73.0 in Columbia, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $372 per month, with Columbia, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Columbia, MO

🕒 Local time

03:51 3:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

139,698

💱 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 Columbia, MO 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Columbia, MO

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 Columbia, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbia, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 59% 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 $1,221 in Columbia, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,185 in Columbia, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Columbia, MO – a meal for two runs $73.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,049 in Columbia, MO versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Columbia, MO but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Columbia, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Columbia, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Columbia, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Columbia, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.