Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Gaithersburg, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Gaithersburg, MD: $2,884 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
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Gaithersburg, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Gaithersburg, MD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Gaithersburg, MD $2,884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,097 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Gaithersburg, MD $4,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,309 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Gaithersburg, MD $5,309

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Gaithersburg, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Gaithersburg, MD 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.62 $19.62

28.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$89.2 $89.2

13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.85 $6.85

115.47%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.82 $5.82

11.68%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.77 $2.77

15.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.49 $2.49

26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.60 $8.60

-5.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.21 $1.21

-3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.37 $4.37

21.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.39 $5.39

18.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.11 $5.11

-0.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$17.57 $17.57

6.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.78 $15.78

18.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.04 $19.04

20.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.77 $4.77

27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.73 $1.73

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.76 $4.76

15.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.27 $5.27

23.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.00 $3.00

16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.01 $2.01

63.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.09 $2.09

33.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.56 $2.56

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.36 $13.36

-6.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.85 $14.85

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 $1.76

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.81 $2.81

106.41%

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

$4.07 $4.07

-36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.22 $1.22

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$25.06 $25.06

20.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

34.61%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.58%

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

$308 $308

$161 $161

91.38%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.1 $51.1

35.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$60.9 $60.9

41.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$32.27 $32.27

136.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.91 $16.91

6.56%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,834 $1,834

49.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-15.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.1 $55.1

43.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.73 $35.73

52.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$100 $100

26.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$122 $122

30.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,803 $1,803

39.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,606 $1,606

20.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,442 $2,442

109.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,354 $2,354

50.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,452 $2,452

200.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,566 $2,566

94.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,307 $5,307

21.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.79

1.47%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.7% 17.2% $333

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Gaithersburg, MD

$462 16% 15.5% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Gaithersburg, MD

$273 9.5% 41.1% $190

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Gaithersburg, MD

$325 11.3% 19.9% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Gaithersburg, MD

$141 4.9% 25.2% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4% 92.1% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3% 41.2% $46

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 $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 22% 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 $89 in Gaithersburg, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $462 per month, with Gaithersburg, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

23:49 11:49 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

69,657

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Gaithersburg, MD 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Gaithersburg, MD

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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 Gaithersburg, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,884 in Gaithersburg, MD, so Gaithersburg, MD is about 24% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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 $1,803 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,834 in Gaithersburg, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaithersburg, MD – a meal for two runs $89 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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