Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Dana Point, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,782 a month against $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dana Point, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in Dana Point, CA
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Dana Point, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Dana Point, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,372 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Dana Point, CA $4,372

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,964 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Dana Point, CA $5,964

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $7,557 in Dana Point, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Dana Point, CA $7,557

Seattle, WA is about 13% cheaper than Dana Point, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Dana Point, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Dana Point, CA by 223%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.21 $25.21

-2.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$101 $101

-2.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.52 $14.52

1.86%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.04 $6.04

7.95%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.68 $3.68

-12.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.65 $2.65

19.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.90 $7.90

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.97 $9.97

-19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.83 $4.83

6.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.71 $4.71

28.45%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.97 $3.97

22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.26 $11.26

70.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.49 $13.49

40.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.71 $15.71

48.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.02 $5.02

19.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.21 $2.21

-12.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.51 $3.51

49.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.34 $5.34

23.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.91 $2.91

24.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.78 $2.78

19.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.99 $1.99

39.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.99 $11.99

1.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.27 $15.27

-2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.02 $3.02

39.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.78 $2.78

107.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.16 $3.16

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.90 $1.90

-9.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.63 $32.63

-8.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.28 $1.28

16.41%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$32.8K $32.8K

9.39%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.37%

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

$302 $302

$255 $255

18.42%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$77.4 $77.4

-9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$78.5 $78.5

8.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.94 $41.94

85.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$20.15 $20.15

71.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$19.64 $19.64

-9.16%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,690 $1,690

75.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$32.3K $32.3K

-3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$65.4 $65.4

17.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$52.2 $52.2

3.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$113 $113

12.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$177 $177

-7.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,986 $2,986

-18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,847 $2,847

-31.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$5,264 $5,264

-9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$4,148 $4,148

-16.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,686 $2,686

174.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,351 $2,351

118.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$7,504 $7,504

-13.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.56

5.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dana Point, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Dana Point, CA

$2.8K 65.1% 46.2% $900

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Dana Point, CA

$426 9.8% 21.9% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Dana Point, CA

$411 9.4% 10.2% $46

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Dana Point, CA

$402 9.2% 0.7% $2.7

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Dana Point, CA

$184 4.2% 3.4% $6.5

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Dana Point, CA

$21 * 0.5% 84% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Dana Point, CA

$81 1.9% 28.5% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,986 in Dana Point, 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 15% higher in Dana Point, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $101 in Dana Point, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $426 in Dana Point, CA – so Dana Point, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Dana Point, CA

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

33,351

💱 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 Dana Point, CA 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Dana Point, CA

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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 Dana Point, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Dana Point, CA is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,557 in Dana Point, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $4,372 in Dana Point, CA. That's a gap of about 16%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,690 in Dana Point, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $4,372 in Dana Point, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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