Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Florence, SC: $2,269 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Florence, SC
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Florence, SC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Florence, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,269 in Florence, SC.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Florence, SC $2,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,219 in Florence, SC.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Florence, SC $3,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,168 in Florence, SC.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Florence, SC $4,168

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Florence, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Florence, SC 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$15.21 $15.21

66.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$65.4 $65.4

55.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.04 $11.04

34.51%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.83 $4.83

36.44%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.54 $2.54

26.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.98 $1.98

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.06 $5.06

61.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.96 $6.96

15.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.96 $0.96

26.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.13 $4.13

23.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.87 $5.87

7.33%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.11 $5.11

-4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.35 $11.35

68.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.35 $14.35

28.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$25.56 $25.56

-9.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.36 $6.36

-8.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$7.05 $7.05

-24.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.21 $6.21

4.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.13 $4.13

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$6.10 $6.10

-48.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.43 $2.43

17.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.07 $3.07

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$7.97 $7.97

59.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.24 $14.24

5.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.05 $2.05

103.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.02 $6.02

-0.50%

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

$7.06 $7.06

-63.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.83 $1.83

-10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.03 $1.03

37.86%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.1K $35.1K

1.76%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

0.90%

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

$299 $299

$281 $281

6.24%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$56.2 $56.2

25.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$41.52 $41.52

112.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.85 $14.85

15.29%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,316 $1,316

128.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$40.47 $40.47

90.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$30.27 $30.27

82.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$107 $107

17.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$70.6 $70.6

130.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$978 $978

151.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$962 $962

103.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,497 $1,497

214.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,362 $1,362

160.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$1,530 $1,530

380.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,555 $1,555

224.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,133 $3,133

100.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Florence, SC: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Florence, SC

$962 42.4% 50.8% $994

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Florence, SC

$501 22.1% 7.6% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Florence, SC

$379 16.7% 17.2% $79

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Florence, SC

$270 11.9% 33.9% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Florence, SC

$112 4.9% 41.1% $78

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Florence, SC

$16 * 0.7% 87.8% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Florence, SC

$30 * 1.3% 73.9% $84

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 $978 in Florence, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 101% 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 $65.0 in Florence, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $501 per month, with Florence, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Florence, SC

🕒 Local time

01:42 1:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

40,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Florence, SC 3,820 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Florence, SC

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, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Florence, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Florence, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $978 in Florence, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,316 in Florence, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Florence, SC – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,269 in Florence, SC versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Florence, SC but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Florence, SC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Florence, SC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,269 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Florence, SC hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Florence, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.