Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Elizabeth City, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC: $2,456 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Elizabeth City, NC $2,456

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Elizabeth City, NC $3,522

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Elizabeth City, NC $4,588

Seattle, WA costs about 54% more than Elizabeth City, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Elizabeth City, NC sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Elizabeth City, NC by 81%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$11.95 $11.95

105.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$34.93 $34.93

181.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.60 $11.60

27.50%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.84 $5.84

11.64%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.52 $2.52

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.04 $2.04

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.14 $6.14

27.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.09 $7.09

13.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.65 $3.65

40.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.00 $3.00

101.67%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.78 $4.78

2.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.81 $10.81

77.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.01 $10.01

88.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.49 $17.49

33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.38 $4.38

36.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.28 $1.28

50.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.39 $4.39

19.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.53 $4.53

45.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.16 $2.16

67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.21 $2.21

49.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.01 $2.01

38.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.23 $2.23

12.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.86 $8.86

37.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.74 $14.74

0.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.12 $2.12

99.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.65 $2.65

117.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.81 $1.81

62.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.92 $2.92

-9.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.93 $1.93

-10.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$18.19 $18.19

63.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.6K $30.6K

17.34%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.42%

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

$302 $302

$183 $183

64.89%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$56.8 $56.8

23.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$59.6 $59.6

43.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$45.64 $45.64

70.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.06 $15.06

18.46%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,491 $1,491

99.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.7 $54.7

40.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.11 $40.11

34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.8 $87.8

46.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$143 $143

15.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,584 $1,584

54.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,279 $1,279

52.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,494 $2,494

90.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,164 $2,164

60.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,870 $2,870

156.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,355 $2,355

117.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.61

4.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1% 34.3% $668

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2% 31.6% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2% 34.5% $158

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7% 34.1% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6% 23.1% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8% 84.7% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1% 33.3% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC. 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $373 – making Elizabeth City, NC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

18,683

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Elizabeth City, NC 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Elizabeth City, 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 Elizabeth City, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Elizabeth City, NC. 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.