Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Flagstaff, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Flagstaff, AZ: $3,120 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
150

Cost of Living Index in Flagstaff, AZ
Learn more

Flagstaff, AZ Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Flagstaff, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Flagstaff, AZ

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,120 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Flagstaff, AZ $3,120

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,202 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Flagstaff, AZ $4,202

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,284 in Flagstaff, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Flagstaff, AZ $5,284

Seattle, WA costs about 21% more than Flagstaff, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Flagstaff, AZ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Flagstaff, AZ by 129%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.09 $20.09

25.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$80.7 $80.7

24.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.52 $14.52

1.65%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.02 $6.02

7.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.17 $3.17

1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.37 $2.37

32.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.95 $5.95

33.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.91 $6.91

17.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.77 $0.77

51.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.62 $2.62

102.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.16 $4.16

53.85%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.26 $4.26

18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.56 $13.56

37.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$7.28 $7.28

157.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$11.05 $11.05

107.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.69 $3.69

64.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.92 $1.92

1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.69 $3.69

49.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.89 $3.89

67.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.26 $2.26

54.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.21 $2.21

48.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.27 $2.27

23.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.57 $2.57

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.48 $10.48

19.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.15 $12.15

22.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.08 $2.08

101.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.35 $2.35

146.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.22 $1.22

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$33.78 $33.78

213.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.82 $2.82

-8.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.39 $1.39

17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$35.39 $35.39

-14.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.1K $36.1K

1.94%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.32%

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

$308 $308

$232 $232

32.41%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$53.0 $53.0

30.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.4 $73.4

17.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$68.5 $68.5

11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.13 $20.13

76.35%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.94 $13.94

29.27%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,617 $1,617

69.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.5K $23.5K

30.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.6 $59.6

32.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$34.78 $34.78

56.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$103 $103

23.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$125 $125

27.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,859 $1,859

34.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,797 $1,797

7.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,195 $3,195

60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,396 $2,396

47.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,742 $5,742

28.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,017 $4,017

24.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,945 $3,945

64.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Flagstaff, AZ: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Flagstaff, AZ

$1.8K 57.6% 7.3% $141

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Flagstaff, AZ

$333 10.7% 39.2% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Flagstaff, AZ

$359 11.5% 22.5% $104

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Flagstaff, AZ

$342 11% 15.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Flagstaff, AZ

$145 4.6% 23.2% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Flagstaff, AZ

$48 1.6% 62.4% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Flagstaff, AZ

$96 3.1% 14.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,859 in Flagstaff, AZ. 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 64% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $81 in Flagstaff, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $333 – making Flagstaff, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Flagstaff, AZ

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,831

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Flagstaff, AZ 1,640 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Flagstaff, AZ

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 Flagstaff, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 21% more than Flagstaff, AZ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,681 in Flagstaff, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Flagstaff, AZ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,859 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Flagstaff, AZ. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,617 in Flagstaff, AZ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,120 in Flagstaff, AZ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Flagstaff, AZ – 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 Flagstaff, AZ. 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.