Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Framingham, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Framingham, MA: $3,472 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. The total is higher in Seattle, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Framingham, MA
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Framingham, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Framingham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Framingham, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,472 in Framingham, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Framingham, MA $3,472

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,893 in Framingham, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Framingham, MA $4,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,314 in Framingham, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Framingham, MA $6,314

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Framingham, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Framingham, MA 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.15 $18.15

35.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$94.8 $94.8

3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.59 $13.59

8.83%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.49 $4.49

45.21%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.93 $2.93

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.30 $2.30

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.07 $5.07

54.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.48 $5.48

46.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.04 $1.04

16.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.94 $3.94

30.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.35 $5.35

13.08%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.92 $4.92

-0.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.40 $11.40

68.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.93 $8.93

111.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.65 $17.65

32.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.70 $3.70

61.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.75 $1.75

10.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.63 $6.63

-20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.45 $5.45

20.55%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.02 $2.02

79.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.89 $2.89

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.04 $3.04

-8.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.53 $2.53

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.70 $13.70

-11.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.70 $13.70

8.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.14 $2.14

97.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.15 $4.15

39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.31 $2.31

27.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

31.04%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.92%

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

$302 $302

$323 $323

-6.42%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$29.62 $29.62

136.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$84.8 $84.8

0.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$24.59 $24.59

216.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$24.96 $24.96

38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$9.97 $9.97

78.94%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,854 $1,854

60.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.4K $30.4K

2.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$40.59 $40.59

88.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$30.29 $30.29

78.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$69.3 $69.3

84.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$59.4 $59.4

176.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,075 $2,075

17.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,188 $2,188

-11.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,912 $3,912

21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,514 $3,514

-1.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,896 $4,896

32.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Framingham, MA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Framingham, MA

$2.2K 63% 12.4% $242

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Framingham, MA

$406 11.7% 25.6% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Framingham, MA

$437 12.6% 4.4% $20

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Framingham, MA

$297 8.6% 25.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Framingham, MA

$90 2.6% 52.8% $100

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Framingham, MA

$9.2 * 0.3% 92.9% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Framingham, MA

$45 1.3% 60.8% $69

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,075 in Framingham, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 33% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $95.0 in Framingham, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $406 per month, with Framingham, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Framingham, MA

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

68,318

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Framingham, MA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Framingham, MA

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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 Framingham, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Framingham, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Framingham, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,075 in Framingham, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,854 in Framingham, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Framingham, MA – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Framingham, MA 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 Framingham, MA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,472 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Framingham, MA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Framingham, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.