Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Dover, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Dover, NH: $3,465 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
168

Cost of Living Index in Dover, NH
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Dover, NH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Dover, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$3,465

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Dover, NH

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 Dover, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,465 in Dover, NH.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Dover, NH $3,465

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,143 in Dover, NH.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Dover, NH $5,143

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,821 in Dover, NH.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Dover, NH $6,821

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Dover, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Dover, NH 155% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.82 $17.82

41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$94.7 $94.7

6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.16 $13.16

12.16%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.38 $5.38

20.82%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.47 $2.47

29.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.54 $1.54

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.98 $4.98

60.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.94 $7.94

2.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 $1.05

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.08 $4.08

29.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.40 $5.40

18.52%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.79 $4.79

5.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.39 $11.39

64.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.13 $14.13

32.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.67 $17.67

29.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.82 $6.82

-11.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.74 $1.74

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.79 $6.79

-18.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.49 $5.49

18.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$6.69 $6.69

-47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.80 $5.80

-43.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.99 $2.99

-6.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.97 $3.97

-35.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.69 $13.69

-8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.35 $13.35

11.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.06 $2.06

103.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.19 $4.19

38.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.72 $1.72

77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$79.8 $79.8

32.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.87 $0.87

62.07%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.46%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

0.73%

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

$308 $308

$324 $324

-5.10%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$98.8 $98.8

-29.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$139 $139

-38.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$72.7 $72.7

5.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$30.60 $30.60

16.01%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.10 $12.10

48.93%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,860 $1,860

47.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$19.8K $19.8K

54.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$56.2 $56.2

40.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.06 $39.06

39.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.9 $79.9

58.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$101 $101

57.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,072 $2,072

21.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,806 $1,806

7.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,988 $3,988

28.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,281 $3,281

7.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,836 $3,836

68.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dover, NH: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Dover, NH

$1.8K 52.1% 6.8% $132

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Dover, NH

$486 14% 11.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Dover, NH

$562 16.2% 21.4% $99

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Dover, NH

$303 8.8% 25.3% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Dover, NH

$124 3.6% 34.2% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Dover, NH

$87 * 2.5% 32.7% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Dover, NH

$97 2.8% 13.9% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,072 in Dover, NH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 69% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $95 in Dover, NH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $486 per month, with Dover, NH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Dover, NH

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

14:22 2:22 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

34,735

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Dover, NH 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Dover, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dover, NH is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 69% 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 $2,072 in Dover, NH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,860 in Dover, NH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Dover, NH 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 Dover, NH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.