Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Durham, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham, NC: $2,423 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Durham, NC

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 Durham, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,423 in Durham, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Durham, NC $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,700 in Durham, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Durham, NC $3,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,978 in Durham, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Durham, NC $4,978

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Durham, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.31 $15.31

65.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$106 $106

-4.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.96 $9.96

48.19%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.79 $4.79

35.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.02 $3.02

6.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.10 $2.10

49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.18 $6.18

28.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.12 $7.12

14.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.70 $4.70

12.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.52 $4.52

41.59%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.45 $3.45

46.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.01 $19.01

-1.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.98 $16.98

10.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.05 $17.05

34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.67 $5.67

6.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.83 $1.83

6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.90 $3.90

41.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.58 $4.58

42.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.27 $2.27

53.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.90 $3.90

-15.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.75 $2.75

1.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 $1.96

31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.57 $8.57

45.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.23 $15.23

-2.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.52 $1.52

175.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.01 $4.01

44.64%

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

$1.96 $1.96

31.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.60 $0.60

173.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.01 $1.01

39.60%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.9K $30.9K

19.08%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.09%

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

$308 $308

$226 $226

36.00%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$56.8 $56.8

21.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.5 $71.5

20.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$51.5 $51.5

48.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.36 $12.36

45.79%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,567 $1,567

75.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$45.29 $45.29

74.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.33 $35.33

53.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$90.7 $90.7

39.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$134 $134

18.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,502 $1,502

66.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,118 $1,118

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,272 $2,272

125.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,970 $1,970

79.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,463 $3,463

112.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,420 $2,420

106.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,786 $4,786

35.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2% 42.3% $820

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Durham, NC

$456 18.8% 16.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Durham, NC

$355 14.6% 23.4% $108

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Durham, NC

$276 11.4% 32.2% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Durham, NC

$137 5.7% 27.3% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2% 96.1% $124

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Durham, NC

$76 3.2% 32.2% $36

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 $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 35% 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 $106 in Durham, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $456, with Durham, NC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

23:05 11:05 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

283,506

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Durham, NC 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Durham, NC

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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 Durham, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Durham, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 35% 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 $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,423 in Durham, NC – Durham, NC is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Durham, NC 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 Durham, NC delivers better value at $2,423 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durham, NC hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Durham, NC wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.