Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Farmington Hills, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Farmington Hills, MI: $2,520 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Farmington Hills, MI
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Farmington Hills, MI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Farmington Hills, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Farmington Hills, MI

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 Farmington Hills, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,520 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Farmington Hills, MI $2,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,779 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Farmington Hills, MI $3,779

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,038 in Farmington Hills, MI.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Farmington Hills, MI $5,038

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Farmington Hills, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Farmington Hills, MI 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$16.29 $16.29

55.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.6 $60.6

66.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.43 $10.43

41.51%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.96 $4.96

31.05%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.07 $2.07

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.97 $1.97

59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.97 $4.97

60.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.83 $5.83

39.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.08 $2.08

154.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.50 $4.50

42.22%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.74 $2.74

84.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.49 $10.49

78.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.48 $11.48

63.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.59 $18.59

23.08%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.48 $3.48

74.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.07 $1.07

82.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.64 $6.64

-17.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.59 $3.59

81.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.90 $5.90

-40.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.61 $4.61

-28.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.17 $2.17

29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.53 $1.53

68.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.19 $9.19

35.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.14 $13.14

13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.38 $2.38

76.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.44 $2.44

137.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.03 $3.03

0.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$65.2 $65.2

62.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.32 $5.32

-51.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$48.71 $48.71

-38.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.01 $1.01

39.60%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

20.66%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.85%

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

$308 $308

$178 $178

73.29%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$57.1 $57.1

21.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$52.2 $52.2

65.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$76.1 $76.1

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$34.73 $34.73

2.22%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.79 $11.79

52.84%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,666 $1,666

64.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$16.6K $16.6K

84.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.7 $54.7

44.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.52 $49.52

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$45.33 $45.33

179.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$120 $120

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,538 $1,538

63.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,280 $1,280

51.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,668 $2,668

91.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,301 $2,301

53.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,922 $2,922

152.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,661 $1,661

201.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,290 $5,290

22.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.35

8.50%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Farmington Hills, MI: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Farmington Hills, MI

$1.3K 50.8% 34% $659

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Farmington Hills, MI

$368 14.6% 32.7% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Farmington Hills, MI

$287 11.4% 38% $176

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Farmington Hills, MI

$274 10.9% 32.6% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Farmington Hills, MI

$121 4.8% 35.8% $67

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Farmington Hills, MI

$91 3.6% 29.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Farmington Hills, MI

$100 4% 11.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,538 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 22% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $61 in Farmington Hills, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $368 per month, with Farmington Hills, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Farmington Hills, MI

🕒 Local time

23:31 11:31 PM

02:31 2:31 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

80,937

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Farmington Hills, MI 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs Farmington Hills, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Farmington Hills, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Farmington Hills, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,538 in Farmington Hills, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,666 in Farmington Hills, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Farmington Hills, MI 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 Farmington Hills, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.