Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Escazu

For one person, living is cheaper in Escazu: $1,933 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Escazu

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $1,933 in Escazu.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Escazu $1,933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $2,966 in Escazu.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Escazu $2,966

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $3,999 in Escazu.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Escazu $3,999

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 97% more expensive than in Escazu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Escazu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$12.23 ₡5,486

107.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.1 ₡27.9K

63.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.48 ₡5,146

29.36%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.56 ₡2,045

44.52%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.72 ₡1,218

18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.85 ₡828

69.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.36 ₡1,505

143.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.47 ₡2,006

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.32 ₡1,040

-47.84%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.12 ₡1,397

64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.49 ₡1,117

153.01%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.59 ₡1,611

36.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.61 ₡4,757

80.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.22 ₡4,581

81.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.94 ₡6,252

65.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.13 ₡2,301

13.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.62 ₡726

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.16 ₡1,416

67.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.07 ₡1,378

111.07%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.79 ₡1,698

-5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.73 ₡1,674

-15.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.04 ₡465

174.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.70 ₡762

42.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$5.53 ₡2,479

130.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$18.39 ₡8,249

-18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.66 ₡745

151.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.68 ₡1,202

123.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.09 ₡491

178.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.06 ₡923

23.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.57 ₡704

4.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$8.76 ₡3,927

237.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.48 ₡664

-4.05%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.4K ₡10.1M

59.46%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.2K ₡15.8M

-27.35%

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

$299 $299

$94.6 ₡42.4K

216.25%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$29.81 ₡13.4K

137.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$60.1 ₡27.0K

46.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$108 ₡48.6K

-26.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$10.15 ₡4,550

248.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.81 ₡3,502

119.21%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$457 ₡204.9K

559.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$16.9K ₡7.6M

87.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$71.1 ₡31.9K

8.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$55.7 ₡25.0K

-1.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$131 ₡58.6K

-3.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$130 ₡58.4K

24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$834 ₡373.9K

195.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$845 ₡378.8K

131.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,961 ₡879.3K

140.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,508 ₡676.4K

135.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$1,407 ₡630.8K

422.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$972 ₡435.7K

419.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$1,746 ₡782.8K

260.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Escazu

$845 43.7% 56.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Escazu

$361 18.7% 33.4% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Escazu

$184 9.5% 59.7% $274

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Escazu

$231 12% 43.5% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Escazu

$174 9% 7.8% $15

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Escazu

$14 * 0.7% 89.3% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Escazu

$124 6.4% 9% $10

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 $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $834 in Escazu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 260% 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 $62.0 in Escazu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $361 per month, with Escazu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇷 Escazu

🕒 Local time

07:36 7:36 AM

08:36 8:36 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,984

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Escazu 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Escazu

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 Escazu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Escazu is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 97% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 260% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $834 in Escazu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,933 in Escazu – a 97% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,933 in Escazu versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Escazu but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Escazu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Escazu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Escazu are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Escazu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.