Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Garland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Garland, TX: $2,590 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
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Garland, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Garland, 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 Garland, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,590 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Garland, TX $2,590

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,751 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Garland, TX $3,751

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,912 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Garland, TX $4,912

Seattle, WA costs about 45% more than Garland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Garland, TX sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Garland, TX by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.79 $19.79

24.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$54.4 $54.4

82.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.02 $10.02

52.69%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.68 $5.68

16.55%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.62 $2.62

24.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.33 $2.33

33.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.53 $5.53

40.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.40 $7.40

7.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.92 $0.92

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.80 $3.80

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.32 $5.32

15.98%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.53 $4.53

9.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$7.87 $7.87

141.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.68 $11.68

60.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$19.34 $19.34

19.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.31 $5.31

11.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.24 $1.24

56.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.23 $5.23

-0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.40 $4.40

48.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.07 $2.07

74.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.08 $2.08

51.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.13 $2.13

36.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.45 $1.45

64.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$9.64 $9.64

28.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$10.90 $10.90

37.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.02 $2.02

112.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.26 $3.26

74.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.95 $2.95

3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$96.7 $96.7

12.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.98 $2.98

-11.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.72 $1.72

1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$24.18 $24.18

24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.97 $0.97

50.52%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.4K $36.4K

0.84%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.34%

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

$299 $299

$202 $202

47.88%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$54.2 $54.2

28.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$80.7 $80.7

11.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$39.85 $39.85

100.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$16.24 $16.24

119.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$15.13 $15.13

14.54%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$1,341 $1,341

122.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$28.6K $28.6K

9.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$60.2 $60.2

29.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$29.52 $29.52

85.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$84.7 $84.7

48.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$120 $120

37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,518 $1,518

58.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,276 $1,276

53.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,344 $2,344

104.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,077 $2,077

71.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,256 $3,256

128.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,953 $1,953

156.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,710 $3,710

69.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.62

3.47%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Garland, TX: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5% 35% $687

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Garland, TX

$378 14.4% 30.1% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Garland, TX

$337 12.8% 26.5% $122

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Garland, TX

$319 12.1% 20.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Garland, TX

$133 5% 30.5% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Garland, TX

$120 4.6% 9.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Garland, TX

$70 2.7% 38.8% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,518 in Garland, TX. 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 69% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $54.0 in Garland, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $378 – making Garland, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

21:52 9:52 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

242,035

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Garland, TX 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Garland, 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 Garland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,590 in Garland, TX – roughly 45% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,885 in Garland, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $2,986 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,341 in Garland, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% 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 $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,590 in Garland, TX. 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 $2,590 in Garland, TX to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Garland, TX. 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.