Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fairborn, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairborn, OH: $2,459 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 Fairborn, OH
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Fairborn, OH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Fairborn, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fairborn, OH

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,459 in Fairborn, OH.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Fairborn, OH $2,459

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,599 in Fairborn, OH.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Fairborn, OH $3,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,739 in Fairborn, OH.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Fairborn, OH $4,739

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 54% more expensive than in Fairborn, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Fairborn, OH 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.31 $14.31

71.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$70.0 $70.0

40.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.19 $10.19

45.14%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.05 $4.05

60.99%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.43 $2.43

32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.93 $1.93

64.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.38 $6.38

23.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.85 $7.85

2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.75 $0.75

61.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.71 $2.71

89.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.90 $3.90

55.13%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.72 $3.72

31.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.36 $12.36

55.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.67 $12.67

49.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.69 $16.69

39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.42 $5.42

10.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.47 $1.47

31.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.74 $4.74

10.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.34 $4.34

51.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.40 $2.40

50.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.81 $2.81

17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.31 $2.31

20.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.42 $2.42

3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.90 $9.90

23.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.30 $15.30

-3.07%

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

$3.48 $3.48

65.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.97 $1.97

49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.04 $2.04

29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.75 $1.75

-1.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$33.89 $33.89

-12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.03 $1.03

44.66%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

31.18%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.17%

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

$302 $302

$201 $201

50.08%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$50.4 $50.4

39.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$58.3 $58.3

46.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$46.14 $46.14

68.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.20 $14.20

25.63%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$540 $540

450.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$6,520 $6,520

379.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$39.14 $39.14

95.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$45.19 $45.19

19.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$69.3 $69.3

84.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$122 $122

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,582 $1,582

54.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,284 $1,284

51.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,469 $2,469

92.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,157 $2,157

60.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,113 $3,113

136.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,600 $2,600

97.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fairborn, OH: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Fairborn, OH

$1.3K 52.2% 34% $662

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Fairborn, OH

$389 15.8% 28.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Fairborn, OH

$310 12.6% 32.2% $147

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Fairborn, OH

$259 10.5% 35.3% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Fairborn, OH

$124 5% 34.9% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fairborn, OH

$19 * 0.8% 85.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Fairborn, OH

$75 3% 34.3% $39

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 $1,582 in Fairborn, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $70.0 in Fairborn, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $389 per month, with Fairborn, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fairborn, OH

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

32,770

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Fairborn, OH 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Fairborn, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Fairborn, OH differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,459 including rent). Fairborn, OH is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,689 in Fairborn, OH to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,582 in Fairborn, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $540 in Fairborn, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Fairborn, OH – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Fairborn, OH 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 Fairborn, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.