Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Eliot, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Eliot, ME: $2,796 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Eliot, ME
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Eliot, ME Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Eliot, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,796

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Eliot, ME

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 Eliot, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,796 in Eliot, ME, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Eliot, ME $2,796

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,003 in Eliot, ME, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Eliot, ME $4,003

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,211 in Eliot, ME, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Eliot, ME $5,211

Seattle, WA costs about 35% more than Eliot, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Eliot, ME sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Eliot, ME by 107%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.65 $17.65

34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$50.1 $50.1

97.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$8.75 $8.75

70.74%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.91 $4.91

38.29%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.95 $1.95

65.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.52 $1.52

107.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.07 $8.07

1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.20 $8.20

-4.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.14 $1.14

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.41 $4.41

19.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$6.86 $6.86

-16.03%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.55 $5.55

-11.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$15.47 $15.47

30.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$14.47 $14.47

24.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.67 $19.67

18.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$7.42 $7.42

-19.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.00 $2.00

-5.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.56 $5.56

-3.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$7.43 $7.43

-11.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.35 $4.35

-22.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.08 $4.08

-29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.96 $2.96

-2.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.96 $2.96

-17.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.37 $13.37

-8.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.74 $15.74

-3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.99 $2.99

46.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.42 $4.42

33.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.94 $1.94

52.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$68.0 $68.0

60.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.65 $2.65

-4.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.79 $1.79

-3.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.87 $27.87

6.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.15 $1.15

31.30%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$30.3K $30.3K

19.49%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.52%

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

$289 $289

$236 $236

22.26%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$45.41 $45.41

52.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.9 $75.9

11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.35 $40.35

72.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$16.08 $16.08

11.75%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$2,638 $2,638

6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$20.8K $20.8K

111.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$75.0 $75.0

21.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$50.1 $50.1

9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$113 $113

12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$153 $153

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,587 $1,587

62.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,290 $1,290

50.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,576 $2,576

97.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,065 $2,065

71.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,976 $2,976

147.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,545 $2,545

93.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.85

-0.73%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Eliot, ME: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Eliot, ME

$1.3K 46.2% 33.6% $653

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Eliot, ME

$515 18.4% 5.3% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Eliot, ME

$357 12.8% 19.2% $85

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Eliot, ME

$297 10.6% 25.6% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Eliot, ME

$176 6.3% 10% $20

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Eliot, ME

$87 3.1% 34% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Eliot, ME

$73 2.6% 31.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,587 in Eliot, ME. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $50 in Eliot, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $515 – making Eliot, ME the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Eliot, ME

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

18:29 6:29 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

6,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Eliot, ME 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Eliot, ME

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 Eliot, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 35% more than Eliot, ME, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,194 in Eliot, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Eliot, ME, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,587 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $50 in Eliot, ME. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,796 in Eliot, ME. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Eliot, ME – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Eliot, ME is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.