Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and El Paso, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in El Paso, TX: $2,130 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
101

Cost of Living Index in El Paso, TX
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El Paso, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

El Paso, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,130 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
El Paso, TX $2,130

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,193 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
El Paso, TX $3,193

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,257 in El Paso, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
El Paso, TX $4,257

Seattle, WA costs about 76% more than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and El Paso, TX sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, El Paso, TX by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$18.73 $18.73

31.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$77.0 $77.0

29.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$12.19 $12.19

25.51%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$6.19 $6.19

6.95%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.30 $2.30

41.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.54 $1.54

101.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.87 $5.87

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.61 $6.61

19.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.87 $0.87

39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.01 $3.01

64.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.45 $2.45

151.84%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.61 $3.61

37.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$11.94 $11.94

59.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.76 $11.76

58.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$13.07 $13.07

77.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.59 $3.59

65.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.48 $1.48

31.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.58 $2.58

101.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.56 $3.56

83.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.16 $2.16

67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.80 $2.80

12.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 $1.76

65.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.58 $1.58

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$9.43 $9.43

31.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$9.54 $9.54

57.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.09 $2.09

105.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$4.74 $4.74

20.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.47 $1.47

107.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$48.29 $48.29

124.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.69 $1.69

56.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.39 $1.39

25.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$27.39 $27.39

9.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.96 $0.96

52.08%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

0.01%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.7K $24.7K

3.77%

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

$299 $299

$163 $163

84.25%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$70.4 $70.4

-0.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$68.8 $68.8

30.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$18.42 $18.42

334.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$8.56 $8.56

316.12%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.05 $12.05

43.82%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$579 $579

415.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$6,916 $6,916

352.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$47.02 $47.02

65.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$36.19 $36.19

51.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$102 $102

23.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$174 $174

-5.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,155 $1,155

108.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$890 $890

120.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,738 $1,738

175.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,480 $1,480

140.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$1,781 $1,781

317.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,746 $1,746

187.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,336 $3,336

88.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.51

5.22%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for El Paso, TX: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

El Paso, TX

$890 42.3% 54.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

El Paso, TX

$329 15.6% 39.2% $212

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

El Paso, TX

$302 14.3% 34.3% $158

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

El Paso, TX

$319 15.1% 20.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

El Paso, TX

$162 7.7% 15.2% $29

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

El Paso, TX

$63 3% 52.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

El Paso, TX

$43 2% 62.9% $72

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,155 in El Paso, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 88% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $77.0 in El Paso, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $329 – making El Paso, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 El Paso, TX

🕒 Local time

00:45 12:45 AM

01:45 1:45 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

678,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA El Paso, TX 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
El Paso, TX

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 El Paso, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 76% more than El Paso, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,195 in El Paso, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Paso, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,130 in El Paso, TX. That's a gap of about 76%.

Public transport costs about 125% less in El Paso, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in El Paso, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,130, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In El Paso, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. El Paso, TX costs $2,130 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with El Paso, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.