Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Elizabethtown, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY: $2,031 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
98

Cost of Living Index in Elizabethtown, KY
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Elizabethtown, KY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Elizabethtown, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,031

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Elizabethtown, KY

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 Elizabethtown, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,031 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Elizabethtown, KY $2,031

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,927 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Elizabethtown, KY $2,927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,823 in Elizabethtown, KY.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Elizabethtown, KY $3,823

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 86% more expensive than in Elizabethtown, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Elizabethtown, KY 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.18 $15.18

61.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$49.75 $49.75

97.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.17 $10.17

45.43%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.03 $5.03

29.62%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.18 $2.18

48.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.65 $1.65

92.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.48 $5.48

43.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.39 $7.39

8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.81 $0.81

49.38%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.14 $2.14

140.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.01 $2.01

201.00%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.85 $2.85

71.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.58 $12.58

52.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.12 $11.12

70.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.87 $15.87

46.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.70 $5.70

5.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.60 $1.60

20.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.44 $4.44

18.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.81 $4.81

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.63 $2.63

37.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.25 $3.25

1.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.09 $2.09

33.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.90 $1.90

32.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$6.05 $6.05

101.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.24 $15.24

-2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.08 $2.08

102.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.98 $2.98

93.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.80 $3.80

-30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.25 $1.25

37.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$25.34 $25.34

17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.87 $0.87

71.26%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$36.5K $36.5K

-1.58%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.6K $24.6K

6.76%

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

$302 $302

$152 $152

99.02%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$75.6 $75.6

-7.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$72.2 $72.2

18.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.12 $11.12

60.43%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,443 $1,443

106.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$19.6K $19.6K

59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$46.09 $46.09

66.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.26 $39.26

37.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$85.4 $85.4

50.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$84.2 $84.2

94.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,207 $1,207

102.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$953 $953

104.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,875 $1,875

153.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,505 $1,505

130.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,784 $1,784

313.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,733 $1,733

195.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,345 $3,345

94.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.59

4.55%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elizabethtown, KY: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Elizabethtown, KY

$953 46.9% 51.1% $994

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Elizabethtown, KY

$362 17.8% 33.6% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Elizabethtown, KY

$299 14.7% 34.5% $158

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Elizabethtown, KY

$270 13.3% 32.5% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Elizabethtown, KY

$115 5.7% 39.7% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Elizabethtown, KY

$10 * 0.5% 92.2% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Elizabethtown, KY

$22 * 1.1% 80.4% $91

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,207 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 95% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $50.0 in Elizabethtown, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $362 per month, with Elizabethtown, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Elizabethtown, KY

🕒 Local time

01:13 1:13 AM

04:13 4:13 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

23,406

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Elizabethtown, KY 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Elizabethtown, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Elizabethtown, KY differ by about 86% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,031 including rent). Elizabethtown, KY is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,207 in Elizabethtown, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,443 in Elizabethtown, KY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elizabethtown, KY – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,031 in Elizabethtown, KY versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Elizabethtown, KY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Elizabethtown, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Elizabethtown, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.