Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Florence, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, AL: $1,638 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Florence, AL
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Florence, AL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Florence, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,638

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Florence, AL

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,638 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Florence, AL $1,638

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,452 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Florence, AL $2,452

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,266 in Florence, AL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Florence, AL $3,266

Seattle, WA costs about 131% more than Florence, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Florence, AL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Florence, AL by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.24 $15.24

66.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.1 $63.1

59.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.48 $11.48

28.57%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.57 $4.57

42.23%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.45 $2.45

31.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.09 $2.09

50.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.41 $3.41

133.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.91 $4.91

65.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.10 $1.10

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.56 $3.56

48.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.13 $4.13

54.96%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.13 $4.13

22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.96 $7.96

135.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.45 $13.45

39.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$11.74 $11.74

94.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.91 $4.91

23.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.52 $1.52

28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.15 $4.15

32.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.39 $4.39

48.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.44 $2.44

43.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.47 $2.47

33.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.70 $1.70

64.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.25 $2.25

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.06 $9.06

37.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$3.51 $3.51

323.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.47 $2.47

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.54 $1.54

276.62%

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

$4.99 $4.99

-48.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.52 $1.52

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$21.38 $21.38

40.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.96 $0.96

46.87%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

35.02%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.4K $27.4K

-3.05%

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

$308 $308

$200 $200

54.15%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$74.1 $74.1

-6.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$54.4 $54.4

58.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.35 $11.35

58.77%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$888 $888

209.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$30.2K $30.2K

1.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$36.16 $36.16

118.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$25.26 $25.26

115.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$78.6 $78.6

61.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$50.1 $50.1

217.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$760 $760

230.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$586 $586

230.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,116 $1,116

358.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$967 $967

266.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,663 $1,663

343.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,678 $1,678

198.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,869 $2,869

125.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.22

10.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Florence, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Florence, AL

$586 35.8% 69.8% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Florence, AL

$347 21.2% 36.6% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Florence, AL

$328 20% 29.1% $135

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Florence, AL

$256 15.6% 36.9% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Florence, AL

$86 5.2% 54.6% $103

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Florence, AL

$13 * 0.8% 90.2% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Florence, AL

$23 * 1.4% 79.8% $90

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 $760 in Florence, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $63 in Florence, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $347 – making Florence, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Florence, AL

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

40,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Florence, AL 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Florence, AL

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 Florence, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 131% more than Florence, AL, 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 $2,457 in Florence, AL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Florence, AL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $760 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,638 in Florence, AL. That makes Florence, AL about 57% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $888 in Florence, AL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Florence, AL, where all-in costs run around $1,638, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Florence, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Florence, AL – 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 Florence, AL. 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.