Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Glendale, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Glendale, AZ: $2,173 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, AZ
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Glendale, AZ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Glendale, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Glendale, AZ

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 Glendale, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,173 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Glendale, AZ $2,173

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,425 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Glendale, AZ $3,425

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,676 in Glendale, AZ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Glendale, AZ $4,676

Seattle, WA costs about 75% more than Glendale, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Glendale, AZ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Glendale, AZ by 61%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$15.13 $15.13

67.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.1 $62.1

63.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.45 $12.45

19.28%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.38 $5.38

22.49%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.17 $2.17

48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.96 $1.96

60.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.11 $7.11

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.21 $7.21

11.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.96 $0.96

26.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.24 $3.24

58.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.11 $5.11

23.29%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.54 $4.54

7.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$13.36 $13.36

42.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$11.27 $11.27

64.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$16.92 $16.92

36.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.57 $4.57

27.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.87 $1.87

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.94 $3.94

34.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.12 $4.12

57.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.45 $2.45

45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.91 $2.91

8.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.13 $2.13

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.10 $2.10

15.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.47 $10.47

21.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.35 $13.35

12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.77 $1.77

135.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.75 $3.75

59.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.04 $2.04

49.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.72 $2.72

-6.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.34 $1.34

22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$35.46 $35.46

-16.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.1K $36.1K

-0.98%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.49%

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

$299 $299

$194 $194

53.90%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$48.28 $48.28

46.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$66.4 $66.4

33.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$34.52 $34.52

130.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$9.95 $9.95

72.06%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,089 $1,089

176.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$15.8K $15.8K

100.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$54.3 $54.3

42.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$42.94 $42.94

28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$88.2 $88.2

42.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$103 $103

57.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,360 $1,360

81.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$985 $985

98.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,469 $2,469

90.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,105 $2,105

68.62%

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

$3,716 $3,716

69.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.23

9.95%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Glendale, AZ: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Glendale, AZ

$985 45.3% 49.6% $971

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Glendale, AZ

$388 17.9% 28.3% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Glendale, AZ

$309 14.2% 32.6% $149

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Glendale, AZ

$289 13.3% 29.2% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Glendale, AZ

$130 6% 31.4% $59

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Glendale, AZ

$18 * 0.8% 86.8% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Glendale, AZ

$54 2.5% 52.2% $59

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 $1,360 in Glendale, AZ. 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $62.0 in Glendale, AZ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $388 – making Glendale, AZ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Glendale, AZ

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

200,831

💱 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 Glendale, AZ 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Glendale, AZ

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 Glendale, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 75% more than Glendale, AZ, 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 $3,260 in Glendale, AZ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $62.0 in Glendale, AZ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 40% 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.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Glendale, AZ, where all-in costs run around $2,173, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Glendale, AZ it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Glendale, AZ costs $2,173 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Glendale, AZ. 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.