Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Durango, CO: $3,047 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Durango, CO
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Durango, CO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Durango, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,047

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,047 in Durango, CO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Durango, CO $3,047

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,118 in Durango, CO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Durango, CO $4,118

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,189 in Durango, CO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Durango, CO $5,189

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Durango, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Durango, CO 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.25 $15.25

65.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$58.9 $58.9

71.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.80 $7.80

89.23%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.62 $4.62

40.69%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.89 $2.89

11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.43 $2.43

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.14 $6.14

29.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.76 $6.76

20.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.99 $0.99

18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.27 $3.27

62.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.30 $3.30

93.94%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.69 $4.69

7.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.04 $12.04

55.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.62 $9.62

94.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$10.95 $10.95

108.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.35 $4.35

39.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.42 $1.42

37.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.22 $4.22

30.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.19 $5.19

25.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.22 $3.22

8.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.21 $3.21

2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.06 $2.06

35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.04 $11.04

13.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$4.06 $4.06

266.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.47 $2.47

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.52 $3.52

64.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$30.45 $30.45

247.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.70 $3.70

-30.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.98 $1.98

-17.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.02 $32.02

-5.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.83 $0.83

69.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.4K $29.4K

25.00%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.48%

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

$308 $308

$155 $155

99.06%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.9 $51.9

33.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.3 $68.3

26.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$18.90 $18.90

304.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.90 $11.90

51.43%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,345 $1,345

104.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

20.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.1 $54.1

46.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.97 $42.97

26.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$103 $103

23.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$117 $117

35.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,361 $2,361

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,926 $1,926

0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,370 $3,370

51.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,734 $2,734

29.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,887 $4,887

50.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,884 $4,884

2.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,737 $4,737

36.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.36

8.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durango, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Durango, CO

$1.9K 63.2% 0.6% $12

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Durango, CO

$351 11.5% 35.9% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Durango, CO

$275 9% 40.7% $188

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Durango, CO

$266 8.7% 34.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Durango, CO

$143 4.7% 24.4% $46

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Durango, CO

$44 * 1.5% 65.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Durango, CO

$43 1.4% 62% $70

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 $2,361 in Durango, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $59 in Durango, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $351 per month, with Durango, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Durango, CO

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

19,071

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Durango, CO 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Durango, CO

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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 Durango, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durango, CO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 24% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 37% 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 $2,361 in Durango, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durango, CO runs roughly 71% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,345 in Durango, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Durango, CO 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 Durango, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.