Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Crookston, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Crookston, MN: $2,597 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA, United States
Crookston, MN, United States
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,785
/mo nomad
Crookston, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,597
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Crookston, MN

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 Crookston, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,597 in Crookston, MN, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $3,785
  • Crookston, MN $2,597

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,793 in Crookston, MN, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $5,688
  • Crookston, MN $3,793

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,989 in Crookston, MN, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $7,592
  • Crookston, MN $4,989

Seattle, WA costs about 46% more than Crookston, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Crookston, MN sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Crookston, MN by 91%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.30 $25.30
$19.84 $19.84
27.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$72.4 $72.4
39.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.76 $14.76
$10.95 $10.95
34.79%
Cappuccino
$6.50 $6.50
$5.54 $5.54
17.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.21 $3.21
$2.96 $2.96
8.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.16 $2.16
45.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.97 $7.97
$6.90 $6.90
15.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.13 $8.13
$6.63 $6.63
22.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.07 $1.07
9.35%
White Bread (500g)
$5.30 $5.30
$3.61 $3.61
46.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.40 $6.40
$4.29 $4.29
49.18%
Eggs
$5.06 $5.06
$4.24 $4.24
19.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$18.71 $18.71
$12.31 $12.31
51.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.72 $18.72
$11.46 $11.46
63.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.88 $22.88
$16.73 $16.73
36.76%
Apples (1kg)
$6.06 $6.06
$5.05 $5.05
20.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.57 $1.57
24.20%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.51 $5.51
$4.28 $4.28
28.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.52 $6.52
$4.57 $4.57
42.67%
Potato (1kg)
$3.49 $3.49
$2.71 $2.71
28.78%
Onion (1kg)
$3.29 $3.29
$3.03 $3.03
8.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.10 $2.10
33.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.30 $2.30
12.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.49 $12.49
$10.86 $10.86
15.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.87 $14.87
$15.10 $15.10
-1.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.95 $1.95
114.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.80 $5.80
$3.31 $3.31
75.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.97 $1.97
54.82%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 $106
$59.7 $59.7
77.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.93 $2.93
-11.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.48 $1.48
10.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.12 $30.12
$34.23 $34.23
-12.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.04 $1.04
35.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K $36.8K
$28.5K $28.5K
28.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.4K $26.4K
0.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$308 $308
$201 $201
53.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.2 $69.2
$58.2 $58.2
18.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$86.1 $86.1
$70.1 $70.1
22.72%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$76.5 $76.5
$39.39 $39.39
94.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.50 $35.50
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$18.02 $18.02
$13.63 $13.63
32.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,746 $2,746
$1,381 $1,381
98.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$30.6K $30.6K
$23.9K $23.9K
28.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$79.2 $79.2
$52.4 $52.4
51.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.3 $54.3
$40.80 $40.80
33.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 $127
$87.8 $87.8
44.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$159 $159
$113 $113
40.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,508 $2,508
$1,552 $1,552
61.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,938 $1,938
$1,267 $1,267
52.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$5,117 $5,117
$2,523 $2,523
102.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,542 $3,542
$2,086 $2,086
69.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,374 $7,374
$2,998 $2,998
145.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,002 $5,002
$2,328 $2,328
114.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Crookston, MN
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,470 $6,470
$3,527 $3,527
83.46%
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 26, 2026

Last update for Crookston, MN: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$1.9K
Crookston, MN
$1.3K 34.6% $671
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$547
Crookston, MN
$397 27.5% $150
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$463
Crookston, MN
$329 28.8% $133
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$406
Crookston, MN
$326 19.7% $80
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$189
Crookston, MN
$132 29.8% $56
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$129
Crookston, MN
$78 39.6% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$112
Crookston, MN
$67 40.8% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,552 in Crookston, MN. 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 83% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $72 in Crookston, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $397 – making Crookston, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 Crookston, MN
🕒 Local time
16:15 4:15 PM
18:15 6:15 PM
2 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
7,500
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Crookston, MN 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Crookston, MN

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 Crookston, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seattle, WA or Crookston, MN?
Seattle, WA costs about 46% more than Crookston, MN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seattle, WA and in Crookston, MN?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,895 in Crookston, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Seattle, WA or Crookston, MN?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Crookston, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,552 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.
How expensive is transport in Seattle, WA compared to Crookston, MN?
Public transport costs about 44% less in Crookston, MN. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Seattle, WA and in Crookston, MN?
Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,381 in Crookston, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Seattle, WA or in Crookston, MN?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,597 in Crookston, MN. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Crookston, MN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Seattle, WA or to Crookston, MN?
If budget matters most, go with Crookston, MN. 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.

Seattle, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?