Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Eugene, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Eugene, OR: $2,625 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Eugene, OR
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Eugene, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Eugene, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Eugene, OR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,625 in Eugene, OR.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Eugene, OR $2,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,832 in Eugene, OR.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Eugene, OR $3,832

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,039 in Eugene, OR.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Eugene, OR $5,039

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 44% more expensive than in Eugene, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Eugene, OR 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.27 $18.27

34.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.0 $75.0

31.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.85 $10.85

36.31%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.96 $4.96

31.45%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.82 $2.82

14.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.13 $2.13

48.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.87 $5.87

33.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.89 $5.89

36.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.07 $1.07

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.84 $3.84

33.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.16 $5.16

17.25%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.63 $3.63

34.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.16 $10.16

88.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.98 $13.98

35.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$20.18 $20.18

15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.74 $3.74

60.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.67 $1.67

15.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.83 $3.83

37.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.33 $3.33

97.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.16 $2.16

67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.16 $2.16

53.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.91 $1.91

45.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.92 $1.92

30.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.56 $11.56

5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.71 $13.71

8.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.72 $1.72

145.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.46 $3.46

66.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.92 $1.92

53.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$44.48 $44.48

138.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.94 $4.94

-46.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.29 $1.29

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$30.05 $30.05

-1.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.27 $1.27

17.32%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.3K $25.3K

41.62%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.1K $24.1K

8.73%

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

$302 $302

$151 $151

99.55%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$46.48 $46.48

50.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$63.8 $63.8

33.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$47.52 $47.52

63.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$17.26 $17.26

100.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.78 $13.78

29.46%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,200 $1,200

147.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.2K $12.2K

156.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$59.0 $59.0

29.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.91 $44.91

20.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$100.0 $100.0

28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$103 $103

58.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,458 $1,458

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,398 $1,398

39.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,471 $2,471

91.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,253 $2,253

53.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,241 $3,241

127.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$3,276 $3,276

56.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,906 $3,906

66.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Eugene, OR: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Eugene, OR

$1.4K 53.2% 28.2% $549

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Eugene, OR

$390 14.9% 28.5% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Eugene, OR

$262 10% 42.8% $196

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Eugene, OR

$299 11.4% 25.2% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Eugene, OR

$138 5.3% 27.4% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Eugene, OR

$64 2.4% 50.8% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Eugene, OR

$75 2.9% 33.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,458 in Eugene, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 67% 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 $75.0 in Eugene, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $390 per month, with Eugene, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Eugene, OR

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

159,150

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Eugene, OR 400 km

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Seattle, WA
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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 Eugene, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Eugene, OR differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,625 including rent). Eugene, OR is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 67% 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 $1,458 in Eugene, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,625 in Eugene, OR – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Eugene, OR runs roughly 139% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Eugene, OR is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Eugene, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.