Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Denton, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Denton, TX: $2,432 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Denton, TX
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Denton, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Denton, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Denton, TX

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 Denton, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,432 in Denton, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Denton, TX $2,432

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,652 in Denton, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Denton, TX $3,652

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,872 in Denton, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Denton, TX $4,872

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Denton, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Denton, TX 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.74 $17.74

42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.6 $73.6

37.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.11 $11.11

32.85%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.07 $5.07

28.21%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.61 $2.61

22.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.59 $1.59

97.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.91 $5.91

34.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.09 $7.09

14.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.79 $0.79

48.10%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.92 $2.92

81.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.98 $2.98

114.77%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.83 $2.83

78.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.73 $9.73

92.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.11 $10.11

85.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.55 $16.55

38.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.55 $4.55

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.47 $1.47

32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.37 $3.37

63.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.18 $4.18

55.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.93 $1.93

80.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.00 $3.00

9.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.55 $1.55

80.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.64 $2.64

-2.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.03 $10.03

24.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.57 $11.57

28.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.34 $2.34

79.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.80 $3.80

52.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.46 $1.46

108.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$47.49 $47.49

123.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.26 $3.26

-20.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.52 $29.52

2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

34.73%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.99%

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

$308 $308

$224 $224

37.27%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$66.6 $66.6

3.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$74.8 $74.8

15.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$30.64 $30.64

149.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$31.95 $31.95

11.11%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.71 $15.71

14.70%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,842 $1,842

49.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$20.5K $20.5K

49.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.7 $52.7

50.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.6 $50.6

7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$100.0 $100.0

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$129 $129

22.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,208 $1,208

107.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,146 $1,146

69.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,180 $2,180

134.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,060 $2,060

71.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,634 $2,634

179.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,132 $2,132

134.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,929 $3,929

64.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.78

1.62%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Denton, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Denton, TX

$1.1K 47.1% 40.9% $792

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Denton, TX

$348 14.3% 36.4% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Denton, TX

$365 15% 21% $97

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Denton, TX

$297 12.2% 27% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Denton, TX

$150 6.2% 20.7% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Denton, TX

$65 2.7% 50% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Denton, TX

$62 2.6% 44.8% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,208 in Denton, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $74 in Denton, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $348 per month, with Denton, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Denton, TX

🕒 Local time

10:25 10:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

109,561

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Denton, TX 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Denton, TX

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 Denton, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denton, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Denton, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,208 in Denton, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Denton, TX – a meal for two runs $74 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Denton, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Denton, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.