Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fort Collins, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Collins, CO: $2,816 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 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
136

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fort Collins, CO $2,816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,951 in Fort Collins, CO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fort Collins, CO $3,951

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,085 in Fort Collins, CO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fort Collins, CO $5,085

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Fort Collins, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fort Collins, CO 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.88 $22.88

10.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.0 $79.0

27.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.24 $11.24

31.32%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.22 $6.22

4.50%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.54 $2.54

26.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.06 $2.06

52.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.05 $7.05

13.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.89 $6.89

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.99 $2.99

77.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.79 $2.79

129.39%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.13 $4.13

22.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.15 $11.15

67.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.23 $9.23

102.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.48 $19.48

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.98 $4.98

21.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.52 $1.52

28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.81 $4.81

14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.35 $5.35

21.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.58 $3.58

-2.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.66 $4.66

-29.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.33 $2.33

20.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 $1.78

44.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.32 $10.32

21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.64 $16.64

-10.64%

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

$2.71 $2.71

114.02%

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

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.90 $1.90

-13.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.61 $24.61

22.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.02 $1.02

38.24%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.4K $28.4K

29.77%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.66%

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

$308 $308

$210 $210

46.39%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$56.6 $56.6

22.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.6 $70.6

21.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$51.8 $51.8

47.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$29.76 $29.76

19.29%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.96 $11.96

50.67%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,288 $1,288

113.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$12.6K $12.6K

143.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.1 $59.1

33.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$68.5 $68.5

-20.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.6 $81.6

55.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$114 $114

39.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,817 $1,817

38.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,499 $1,499

29.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,837 $2,837

80.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,143 $2,143

65.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,076 $4,076

80.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,793 $2,793

79.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,503 $4,503

43.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.77

1.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Fort Collins, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 22.7% $439

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fort Collins, CO

$388 13.8% 29.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fort Collins, CO

$337 12% 27.1% $126

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fort Collins, CO

$359 12.7% 11.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fort Collins, CO

$145 5.2% 22.9% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4% 90.7% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fort Collins, CO

$76 2.7% 32.7% $37

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Fort Collins, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $388 per month, with Fort Collins, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🕒 Local time

09:42 9:42 AM

10:42 10:42 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

148,612

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Fort Collins, CO 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fort Collins, CO

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 Fort Collins, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fort Collins, CO wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Fort Collins, CO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 44% 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 $1,817 in Fort Collins, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,816 in Fort Collins, CO – Fort Collins, CO is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Fort Collins, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Fort Collins, CO delivers better value at $2,816 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Fort Collins, CO hard to pass up.

It comes down to priorities – Fort Collins, CO wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.