Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fairfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,762 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Fairfield, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fairfield, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Fairfield, CA $3,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $5,242 in Fairfield, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Fairfield, CA $5,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $6,507 in Fairfield, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Fairfield, CA $6,507

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 5% less than in Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fairfield, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$21.62 $21.62

10.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$88.7 $88.7

11.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.01 $12.01

24.40%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$6.94 $6.94

-2.16%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.49 $3.49

-7.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.02 $2.02

55.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.98 $7.98

2.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.16 $7.16

9.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.41 $1.41

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.42 $4.42

19.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.68 $4.68

23.08%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.54 $5.54

-11.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$14.08 $14.08

43.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$15.20 $15.20

18.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.77 $17.77

31.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$6.11 $6.11

-2.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.59 $2.59

-27.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$6.35 $6.35

-15.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.60 $6.60

-0.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.89 $3.89

-12.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.54 $3.54

-18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.33 $2.33

24.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.06 $2.06

17.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.87 $11.87

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.18 $10.18

49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.11 $2.11

107.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.12 $2.12

177.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.96 $1.96

51.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$87.1 $87.1

25.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.95 $2.95

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.95 $1.95

-11.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$29.14 $29.14

1.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.43 $1.43

5.59%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.2K $28.2K

28.39%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.61%

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

$289 $289

$193 $193

49.85%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$48.25 $48.25

43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.9 $72.9

16.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$125 $125

-44.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$73.7 $73.7

-52.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$14.61 $14.61

23.00%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,293 $1,293

117.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$22.3K $22.3K

96.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$51.1 $51.1

78.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$37.08 $37.08

48.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$107 $107

18.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$112 $112

45.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$2,396 $2,396

7.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$2,432 $2,432

-20.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$3,100 $3,100

64.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,967 $2,967

19.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,719 $3,719

97.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,665 $3,665

34.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,749 $4,749

35.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.48

4.94%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 25.2% $489

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 14.8% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 29.1% $129

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 7.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 29.5% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 18.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 46.6% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $89 in Fairfield, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $463 per month, with Fairfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Fairfield, CA 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fairfield, CA

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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 Fairfield, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA – Seattle, WA is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Fairfield, CA runs roughly 20% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.