Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fayetteville, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Fayetteville, AR: $2,098 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Fayetteville, AR
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Fayetteville, AR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fayetteville, AR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,098

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fayetteville, AR

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fayetteville, AR $2,098

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,215 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fayetteville, AR $3,215

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,331 in Fayetteville, AR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fayetteville, AR $4,331

Seattle, WA costs about 80% more than Fayetteville, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Fayetteville, AR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Fayetteville, AR by 54%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$16.24 $16.24

55.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$78.8 $78.8

28.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.32 $9.32

58.37%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.29 $5.29

22.87%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.16 $2.16

48.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.70 $1.70

84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.05 $6.05

31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.04 $7.04

15.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.59 $3.59

47.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.78 $3.78

69.31%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.44 $5.44

-6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$8.13 $8.13

130.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.45 $8.45

121.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$13.52 $13.52

69.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.48 $4.48

35.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 $1.53

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.71 $2.71

103.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.98 $3.98

63.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.98 $1.98

76.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.55 $2.55

29.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.48 $1.48

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.00 $2.00

29.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.41 $9.41

32.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.01 $14.01

6.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.82 $1.82

130.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.15 $3.15

84.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.80 $2.80

-7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.28 $1.28

28.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.23 $30.23

-0.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

36.10%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.21%

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

$308 $308

$177 $177

73.80%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$54.9 $54.9

25.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.4 $62.4

37.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$30.86 $30.86

147.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$9.91 $9.91

81.84%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,094 $1,094

151.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.3K $23.3K

31.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.7 $52.7

50.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.94 $41.94

29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$107 $107

18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$139 $139

14.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,485 $1,485

68.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$974 $974

99.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,319 $2,319

120.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,792 $1,792

97.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,758 $3,758

96.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,199 $2,199

127.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,634 $3,634

78.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.45

6.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fayetteville, AR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Fayetteville, AR

$974 46.4% 49.8% $965

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fayetteville, AR

$336 16% 38.6% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fayetteville, AR

$294 14% 36.4% $168

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fayetteville, AR

$281 13.4% 30.8% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fayetteville, AR

$154 7.3% 18.6% $35

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fayetteville, AR

$9.2 * 0.4% 92.9% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fayetteville, AR

$51 2.4% 54.9% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,485 in Fayetteville, AR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 78% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $79 in Fayetteville, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $336 – making Fayetteville, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fayetteville, AR

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

20:57 8:57 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

93,949

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Fayetteville, AR 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fayetteville, AR

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 Fayetteville, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,098 in Fayetteville, AR – Fayetteville, AR comes out roughly 45% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,148 in Fayetteville, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fayetteville, AR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,485 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $79 in Fayetteville, AR. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fayetteville, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,098, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Fayetteville, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Fayetteville, AR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Fayetteville, AR. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.