Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Denver, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Denver, CO: $3,212 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Denver, CO
Learn more

Denver, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Denver, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Denver, CO

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 Denver, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $3,212 in Denver, CO.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Denver, CO $3,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,651 in Denver, CO.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Denver, CO $4,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $6,090 in Denver, CO.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Denver, CO $6,090

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Denver, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Denver, CO 138% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.22 $20.22

25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$85.2 $85.2

19.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.74 $11.74

26.49%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.80 $5.80

13.62%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.86 $2.86

12.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.30 $2.30

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.14 $7.14

14.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.12 $8.12

-1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.13 $1.13

7.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.47 $5.47

-6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$7.12 $7.12

-11.52%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.03 $5.03

-2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$16.62 $16.62

14.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$16.95 $16.95

9.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$18.44 $18.44

24.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.10 $5.10

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.10 $2.10

-7.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.71 $4.71

12.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.32 $5.32

21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.58 $2.58

38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.74 $2.74

14.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.38 $2.38

19.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.52 $2.52

-3.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.66 $10.66

19.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$18.83 $18.83

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.74 $2.74

52.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.63 $3.63

65.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.71 $2.71

12.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$87.0 $87.0

26.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.44 $3.44

-25.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 $1.72

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$30.36 $30.36

-2.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$34.8K $34.8K

2.62%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.07%

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

$299 $299

$166 $166

80.49%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$77.1 $77.1

-8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$70.3 $70.3

25.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$60.6 $60.6

31.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$24.84 $24.84

42.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.17 $15.17

12.85%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$2,375 $2,375

26.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$33.6K $33.6K

-5.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$70.7 $70.7

9.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$45.74 $45.74

20.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

24.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$130 $130

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,999 $1,999

23.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,703 $1,703

14.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,250 $3,250

44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,679 $2,679

32.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$5,737 $5,737

28.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,680 $3,680

37.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,540 $4,540

38.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.9

-0.72%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Denver, CO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Denver, CO

$1.7K 53% 12.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Denver, CO

$500 15.6% 7.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Denver, CO

$313 9.8% 31.7% $145

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Denver, CO

$339 10.6% 17% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Denver, CO

$156 4.9% 17.4% $33

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Denver, CO

$110 3.4% 17.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Denver, CO

$91 2.8% 20.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,999 in Denver, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 38% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $85.0 in Denver, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $500 per month, with Denver, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Denver, CO

🕒 Local time

03:10 3:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

715,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Denver, CO 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Denver, CO

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 Denver, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Denver, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Denver, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,999 in Denver, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Denver, CO – a meal for two runs $85.0 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. Denver, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Denver, CO delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,212 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Denver, CO hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Denver, CO 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 Denver, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.