Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fort Madison, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Madison, IA: $2,559 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Fort Madison, IA
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Fort Madison, IA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Fort Madison, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fort Madison, IA

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Fort Madison, IA $2,559

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,754 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Fort Madison, IA $3,754

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,950 in Fort Madison, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Fort Madison, IA $4,950

Seattle, WA costs about 48% more than Fort Madison, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Fort Madison, IA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Fort Madison, IA by 89%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.82 $19.82

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$76.2 $76.2

28.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.40 $11.40

29.74%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.49 $5.49

18.76%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.63 $2.63

22.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.98 $1.98

60.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.13 $6.13

28.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.37 $7.37

8.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.05 $1.05

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.45 $3.45

48.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.30 $4.30

40.70%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.15 $4.15

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.60 $12.60

52.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.33 $11.33

66.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.07 $17.07

36.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.89 $4.89

22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.58 $1.58

22.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.23 $4.23

24.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.82 $4.82

36.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.84 $2.84

27.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.94 $2.94

12.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.14 $2.14

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.21 $2.21

13.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.10 $10.10

20.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.04 $15.04

-1.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.68 $1.68

151.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.00 $3.00

92.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.27 $2.27

29.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.33 $3.33

-20.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.76 $1.76

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$31.70 $31.70

-6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

35.18%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

10.20%

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

$302 $302

$201 $201

49.84%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.0 $59.0

18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$71.0 $71.0

20.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.05 $41.05

89.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.14 $14.14

26.17%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,439 $1,439

106.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

31.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.8 $53.8

42.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.89 $40.89

32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$88.0 $88.0

45.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$115 $115

43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,582 $1,582

54.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,287 $1,287

51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,533 $2,533

87.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,141 $2,141

62.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,414 $2,414

205.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,589 $2,589

98.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Fort Madison, IA

$1.3K 50.3% 33.9% $659

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Fort Madison, IA

$393 15.4% 27.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Fort Madison, IA

$331 13% 27.5% $126

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Fort Madison, IA

$322 12.6% 19.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Fort Madison, IA

$134 5.2% 29.7% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fort Madison, IA

$21 * 0.8% 83.6% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Fort Madison, IA

$69 2.7% 38.9% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,582 in Fort Madison, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $393 – making Fort Madison, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fort Madison, IA

🕒 Local time

18:00 6:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

10,270

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Fort Madison, IA 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fort Madison, IA

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 Madison, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA – roughly 48% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,838 in Fort Madison, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort Madison, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $76.0 in Fort Madison, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,559 in Fort Madison, IA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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