Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fajardo

For one person, living is cheaper in Fajardo: $1,251 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Fajardo
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Fajardo Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Fajardo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $1,251 in Fajardo.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Fajardo $1,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $1,962 in Fajardo.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Fajardo $1,962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $2,674 in Fajardo.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Fajardo $2,674

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 204% more expensive than in Fajardo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 182% above, Fajardo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$9.97 $9.97

153.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$80.7 $80.7

25.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.09 $9.09

63.37%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.69 $3.69

78.59%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.84 $1.84

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.45 $1.45

116.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.02 $3.02

170.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.13 $5.13

56.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.14 $2.14

-43.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.72 $3.72

37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.34 $2.34

169.23%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$7.62 $7.62

-35.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$12.30 $12.30

55.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.37 $9.37

97.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.16 $13.16

75.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.97 $4.97

16.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.67 $2.67

-26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.97 $4.97

6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.91 $4.91

31.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.72 $3.72

-4.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.87 $3.87

-18.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.36 $3.36

-15.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.66 $1.66

45.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.26 $11.26

13.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.57 $15.57

-3.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.02 $3.02

38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.06 $4.06

47.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.43 $2.43

4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$41.97 $41.97

-29.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.23 $1.23

15.45%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$40.3K $40.3K

-11.31%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.5K $27.5K

-7.00%

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

$299 $299

$325 $325

-7.89%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$70.1 $70.1

1.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$69.4 $69.4

27.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$10.38 $10.38

64.93%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$809 $809

272.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$12.4K $12.4K

154.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$56.0 $56.0

37.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$61.1 $61.1

-9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$109 $109

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$114 $114

42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$982 $982

150.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.55

4.58%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Fajardo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Fajardo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Fajardo

$414 33.1% 23.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Fajardo

$464 37.1% 1.3% $5.9

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Fajardo

$190 15.2% 53.5% $219

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fajardo

$153 12.2% 19.2% $36

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Fajardo

$9.7 * 0.8% 92.7% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Fajardo

$21 * 1.7% 81.8% $93

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 $982 in Fajardo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81.0 in Fajardo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $414 per month, with Fajardo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇵🇷 Fajardo

🕒 Local time

12:30 12:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,647

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Fajardo 6,040 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Fajardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fajardo wins on cost – living expenses run 204% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Fajardo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,701 in Seattle, WA and $1,876 in Fajardo 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $982 in Fajardo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% 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 $1,251 in Fajardo – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,251 in Fajardo versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Fajardo but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Fajardo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fajardo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,251 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fajardo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Fajardo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.