Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Dublin, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $3,888 in Dublin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Dublin, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
185

Cost of Living Index in Dublin, CA
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Dublin, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Dublin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,888 in Dublin, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Dublin, CA $3,888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,489 in Dublin, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Dublin, CA $5,489

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $7,090 in Dublin, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Dublin, CA $7,090

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 3% less than in Dublin, CA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Dublin, CA 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.80 $20.80

21.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.9 $63.9

57.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.14 $11.14

32.50%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.40 $5.40

20.37%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.79 $2.79

15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.38 $2.38

31.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.12 $7.12

11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.98 $6.98

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.74 $1.74

-32.76%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.40 $4.40

20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.04 $4.04

58.42%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$6.01 $6.01

-15.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$6.41 $6.41

191.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.45 $14.45

29.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.17 $22.17

3.20%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.18 $5.18

16.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.92 $1.92

1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.59 $5.59

-1.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.39 $4.39

48.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.62 $3.62

-3.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.17 $2.17

51.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.96 $1.96

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.50 $2.50

3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.70 $11.70

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.76 $15.76

-5.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.52 $2.52

66.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.45 $3.45

68.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.93 $2.93

4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$88.8 $88.8

19.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.47 $3.47

-25.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.91 $2.91

-43.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.08 $30.08

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.37 $1.37

2.92%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$37.4K $37.4K

-1.72%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.11%

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

$308 $308

$123 $123

149.10%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$48.13 $48.13

43.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$84.3 $84.3

2.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$34.54 $34.54

121.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$35.47 $35.47

0.08%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.86 $14.86

21.27%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,849 $1,849

48.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$40.2K $40.2K

-23.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.4 $59.4

33.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$51.0 $51.0

6.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$80.9 $80.9

56.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$118 $118

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,785 $2,785

-9.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,530 $2,530

-23.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,575 $4,575

11.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,046 $4,046

-12.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$12.9K $12.9K

-42.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$10.8K $10.8K

-53.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,385 $6,385

1.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Dublin, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Dublin, CA

$2.5K 65.1% 30.5% $592

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Dublin, CA

$445 11.5% 18.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Dublin, CA

$256 6.6% 44.7% $207

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Dublin, CA

$335 8.6% 17.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Dublin, CA

$139 3.6% 26.1% $49

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Dublin, CA

$119 3.1% 8.1% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Dublin, CA

$64 1.7% 42.9% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,785 in Dublin, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $64 in Dublin, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $445 per month, with Dublin, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Dublin, CA

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

49,328

💱 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 Dublin, CA 1,100 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Dublin, 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 Dublin, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $5,832 in Dublin, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,785 in Dublin, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Dublin, CA pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Dublin, CA – a meal for two runs $64 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 $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.