Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fairfax, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fairfax, VA: $3,428 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fairfax, VA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fairfax, VA $3,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,787 in Fairfax, VA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fairfax, VA $4,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,147 in Fairfax, VA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fairfax, VA $6,147

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 10% more expensive than in Fairfax, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fairfax, VA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.15 $19.15

32.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$96.5 $96.5

4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.84 $11.84

24.66%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.08 $6.08

6.91%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.20 $3.20

0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.52 $2.52

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.85 $6.85

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.06 $8.06

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.10 $1.10

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.07 $4.07

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.39 $5.39

18.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.40 $5.40

-6.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.98 $16.98

10.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.95 $14.95

25.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.63 $18.63

22.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.89 $5.89

2.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.26 $2.26

-13.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.79 $5.79

-4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.73 $5.73

13.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.76 $2.76

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.74 $3.74

-12.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.45 $2.45

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.68 $2.68

-3.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.63 $13.63

-8.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.84 $15.84

-6.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.63 $2.63

59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.54 $4.54

27.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.70 $2.70

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$68.7 $68.7

54.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.98 $2.98

-13.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.47 $1.47

11.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.06 $24.06

25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.07 $1.07

31.78%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$35.6K $35.6K

3.36%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.76%

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

$308 $308

$212 $212

44.91%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$65.6 $65.6

5.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$77.3 $77.3

11.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$68.6 $68.6

11.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$25.20 $25.20

40.87%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.96 $17.96

0.33%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,906 $1,906

44.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$35.2K $35.2K

-13.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.5 $52.5

50.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$54.9 $54.9

-1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.6 $92.6

37.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$112 $112

42.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,474 $2,474

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,920 $1,920

0.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,353 $3,353

52.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,733 $2,733

29.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,371 $5,371

37.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,702 $3,702

35.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,746 $5,746

12.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.72

2.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56% 0.9% $18

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1% 11.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4% 23.3% $108

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8% 17.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1% 25.7% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6% 30.3% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1% 7.1% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $97 in Fairfax, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $483 per month, with Fairfax, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

00:26 12:26 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

24,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Fairfax, VA 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fairfax, VA

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 Fairfax, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fairfax, VA wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fairfax, VA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Fairfax, VA – a meal for two runs $97 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fairfax, VA 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.

It comes down to priorities – Fairfax, VA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.