Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Garden Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,412 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $28,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
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Garden Grove, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Garden Grove, CA

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 Garden Grove, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Garden Grove, CA $1,412

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,264 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Garden Grove, CA $2,264

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,115 in Garden Grove, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Garden Grove, CA $3,115

Seattle, WA costs about 169% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Garden Grove, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Garden Grove, CA by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$25.44 $25.44

-0.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$77.4 $77.4

31.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.44 $11.44

29.81%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.61 $5.61

17.47%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.73 $2.73

17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.95 $1.95

61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.42 $7.42

10.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.42 $9.42

-14.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.16 $1.16

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.30 $5.30

-3.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.37 $4.37

44.16%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.03 $5.03

-2.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$12.53 $12.53

52.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$8.63 $8.63

114.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$14.19 $14.19

62.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.70 $4.70

23.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.00 $4.00

32.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.77 $5.77

12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.65 $3.65

-2.19%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.02 $3.02

4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.15 $2.15

32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.23 $2.23

8.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.48 $11.48

11.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.94 $14.94

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.71 $1.71

143.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.08 $3.08

94.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.02 $5.02

-39.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$68.6 $68.6

60.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.47 $4.47

-42.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.89 $1.89

-13.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$36.49 $36.49

-18.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.53 $1.53

-7.19%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.4K $36.4K

-1.91%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.69%

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

$299 $299

$216 $216

38.64%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$70.3 $70.3

0.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$68.8 $68.8

28.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$14.85 $14.85

435.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$20.03 $20.03

76.59%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.09 $15.09

13.45%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,189 $1,189

153.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$42.3K $42.3K

-25.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$61.7 $61.7

25.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$40.80 $40.80

35.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$81.5 $81.5

54.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$102 $102

59.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$2,206 $2,206

11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,518 $3,518

33.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,702 $4,702

33.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.31

8.56%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4% 26% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1% 22.6% $103

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9% 7% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1% 32.1% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3% 22.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2% 60.4% $69

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $2,206 in Garden Grove, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $401 – making Garden Grove, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

170,883

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Garden Grove, CA 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Garden Grove, CA

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 Garden Grove, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 169% more than Garden Grove, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,118 in Garden Grove, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA. That's a gap of about 169%.

Public transport costs about 60% less in Garden Grove, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Garden Grove, CA costs $1,412 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Garden Grove, CA. 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.