Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fort Worth, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort Worth, TX: $2,668 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Fort Worth, TX
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Fort Worth, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fort Worth, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Fort Worth, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fort Worth, TX $2,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,930 in Fort Worth, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fort Worth, TX $3,930

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,191 in Fort Worth, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fort Worth, TX $5,191

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Fort Worth, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fort Worth, TX 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.82 $17.82

41.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$52.2 $52.2

93.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.83 $11.83

24.77%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.25 $6.25

4.00%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.90 $2.90

10.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.43 $2.43

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.55 $5.55

43.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.82 $7.82

3.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.87 $0.87

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.78 $3.78

40.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.11 $5.11

25.24%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.68 $3.68

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.68 $10.68

75.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.29 $15.29

22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.57 $20.57

11.23%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.33 $6.33

-4.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.84 $2.84

-31.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.23 $5.23

5.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.60 $4.60

41.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.65 $2.65

31.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.45 $3.45

-4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.27 $2.27

23.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.49 $2.49

3.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.13 $10.13

23.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$21.30 $21.30

-30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.12 $2.12

97.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.37 $3.37

72.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.94 $1.94

57.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$76.8 $76.8

37.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.69 $1.69

-2.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.22 $24.22

24.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

0.04%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.27%

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

$308 $308

$207 $207

48.84%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$92.8 $92.8

-25.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$85.1 $85.1

1.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$51.1 $51.1

49.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.17 $20.17

76.00%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.84 $14.84

21.43%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,937 $1,937

41.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$27.6K $27.6K

10.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.8 $59.8

32.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.7 $50.7

7.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$123 $123

3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$135 $135

18.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,694 $1,694

48.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,165 $1,165

66.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,785 $2,785

83.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,023 $2,023

75.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,904 $3,904

88.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,872 $1,872

167.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,416 $4,416

46.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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 Worth, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Fort Worth, TX

$1.2K 43.7% 39.9% $773

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fort Worth, TX

$458 17.2% 16.2% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fort Worth, TX

$385 14.4% 16.9% $78

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fort Worth, TX

$318 11.9% 21.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fort Worth, TX

$166 6.2% 12.2% $23

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fort Worth, TX

$96 3.6% 25.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fort Worth, TX

$81 3% 28.2% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,694 in Fort Worth, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 47% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $52 in Fort Worth, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $458 per month, with Fort Worth, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fort Worth, TX

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

20:04 8:04 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

996,756

💱 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 Worth, TX 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fort Worth, TX

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 Worth, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX, so Fort Worth, TX is about 29% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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 $1,694 in Fort Worth, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,937 in Fort Worth, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,668 in Fort Worth, TX versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Fort Worth, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Fort Worth, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Fort Worth, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.