Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Costa Mesa, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
189

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
Learn more

Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Costa Mesa, 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 Costa Mesa, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Costa Mesa, CA $3,934

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,396 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Costa Mesa, CA $5,396

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,858 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Costa Mesa, CA $6,858

Seattle, WA is about 4% cheaper than Costa Mesa, CA.

Both Seattle, WA and Costa Mesa, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Costa Mesa, CA by 189%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.01 $20.01

26.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.6 $79.6

26.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.83 $14.83

-0.47%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.80 $5.80

12.07%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.37 $3.37

-4.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.42 $2.42

29.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.21 $7.21

10.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.36 $9.36

-13.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.01 $4.01

32.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.90 $4.90

30.61%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.95 $4.95

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.97 $12.97

44.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$20.06 $20.06

-6.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$21.10 $21.10

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.97 $4.97

21.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.49 $2.49

-21.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.31 $4.31

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.67 $5.67

14.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.30 $4.30

-18.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.22 $2.22

48.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.18 $2.18

28.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.91 $1.91

35.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.01 $12.01

4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.97 $14.97

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.01 $2.01

108.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.14 $4.14

40.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$70.3 $70.3

50.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.09 $6.09

-57.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.47 $1.47

-4.08%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.4K $29.4K

25.38%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

-1.06%

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

$308 $308

$216 $216

42.41%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$66.4 $66.4

4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.3 $70.3

22.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$34.61 $34.61

120.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$12.24 $12.24

190.03%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.46 $16.46

9.48%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,191 $1,191

130.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$57.4 $57.4

37.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.93 $47.93

13.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$94.2 $94.2

34.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$129 $129

23.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,430 $2,430

3.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,454 $2,454

-20.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,847 $3,847

33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,588 $3,588

-1.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$10.8K $10.8K

-31.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$7,444 $7,444

-32.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,983 $5,983

8.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.39

7.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.4% 26.6% $515

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Costa Mesa, CA

$475 12.1% 13.1% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Costa Mesa, CA

$353 9% 23.8% $110

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Costa Mesa, CA

$352 9% 13.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Costa Mesa, CA

$148 3.8% 21.6% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 34.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$68 1.7% 40% $45

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 $2,430 in Costa Mesa, 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 8% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $475 – making Costa Mesa, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

109,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Costa Mesa, CA 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Costa Mesa, 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 Costa Mesa, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,900 in Costa Mesa, CA. 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 $2,430 in Costa Mesa, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Costa Mesa, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $80 in Costa Mesa, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $3,934 in Costa Mesa, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.