Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Dothan, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Dothan, AL: $2,098 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Dothan, AL
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Dothan, AL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Dothan, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Dothan, AL

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 Dothan, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,098 in Dothan, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Dothan, AL $2,098

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,227 in Dothan, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Dothan, AL $3,227

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,357 in Dothan, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Dothan, AL $4,357

Seattle, WA costs about 80% more than Dothan, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Dothan, AL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Dothan, AL by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.88 $14.88

70.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$50.3 $50.3

100.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.95 $8.95

64.92%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.82 $4.82

34.85%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.10 $2.10

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.80 $1.80

74.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.85 $4.85

64.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.90 $5.90

37.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.01 $3.01

76.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.59 $4.59

39.43%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.09 $4.09

23.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.46 $9.46

97.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.20 $11.20

67.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$11.43 $11.43

100.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.65 $6.65

-8.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.39 $1.39

40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.80 $7.80

-29.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.89 $4.89

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.32 $4.32

-19.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.22 $3.22

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.81 $2.81

-0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.77 $2.77

-6.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.38 $8.38

49.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.63 $13.63

9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.42 $2.42

73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.55 $3.55

63.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.95 $2.95

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.62 $1.62

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.24 $30.24

-0.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.80 $0.80

76.25%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

36.39%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.02%

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

$308 $308

$268 $268

14.60%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.4 $69.4

-0.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$40.21 $40.21

114.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.79 $14.79

21.84%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,334 $1,334

105.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$18.2K $18.2K

68.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$58.6 $58.6

35.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$38.03 $38.03

42.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$108 $108

17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$135 $135

18.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$927 $927

170.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$870 $870

122.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,406 $1,406

264.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,810 $1,810

95.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,522 $1,522

384.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,508 $1,508

231.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,208 $3,208

101.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.69

2.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dothan, AL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Dothan, AL

$870 41.5% 55.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Dothan, AL

$401 19.1% 26.6% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Dothan, AL

$378 18% 18.3% $85

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Dothan, AL

$255 12.2% 37.1% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Dothan, AL

$153 7.3% 19.1% $36

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Dothan, AL

$11 * 0.5% 91.4% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Dothan, AL

$30 * 1.4% 73.7% $83

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 $927 in Dothan, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $50 in Dothan, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $401 – making Dothan, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Dothan, AL

🕒 Local time

21:02 9:02 PM

23:02 11:02 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

71,072

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Dothan, AL 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Dothan, AL

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 Dothan, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,098 in Dothan, AL – Dothan, AL comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,146 in Dothan, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dothan, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $927 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,098 in Dothan, AL. That makes Dothan, AL about 45% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,334 in Dothan, AL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dothan, AL, where all-in costs run around $2,098, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Dothan, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Dothan, AL. 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.