Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Glendale, CA: $3,293 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
158

Cost of Living Index in Glendale, CA
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Glendale, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Glendale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,293

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,293 in Glendale, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Glendale, CA $3,293

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,921 in Glendale, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Glendale, CA $4,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,548 in Glendale, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Glendale, CA $6,548

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Glendale, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Glendale, CA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.54 $24.54

3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$78.9 $78.9

27.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.74 $14.74

0.14%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.94 $5.94

9.43%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.17 $3.17

1.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.31 $2.31

35.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.22 $7.22

10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.81 $9.81

-17.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.40 $1.40

-16.43%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.94 $4.94

7.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.66 $4.66

37.34%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.47 $5.47

-7.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.44 $11.44

63.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.77 $8.77

113.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.00 $20.00

14.40%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.83 $4.83

25.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.33 $2.33

-16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.98 $3.98

38.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.60 $5.60

16.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.37 $3.37

3.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.87 $2.87

14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.00 $2.00

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.47 $2.47

4.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.01 $12.01

4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.06 $15.06

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.42 $2.42

73.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.66 $2.66

118.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.98 $0.98

211.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$62.6 $62.6

69.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.91 $1.91

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.68 $32.68

-7.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.63 $1.63

-13.50%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.2K $29.2K

26.12%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

0.62%

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

$308 $308

$214 $214

43.79%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$77.9 $77.9

-11.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.8 $73.8

16.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$14.95 $14.95

411.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$18.55 $18.55

-2.86%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,195 $1,195

129.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$32.8K $32.8K

-6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$62.8 $62.8

26.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.22 $47.22

15.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$120 $120

5.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$198 $198

-19.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,987 $2,987

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,789 $1,789

8.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,867 $4,867

5.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,253 $3,253

8.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,875 $2,875

156.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,351 $2,351

112.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,154 $5,154

25.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.53

5.51%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Glendale, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Glendale, CA

$1.8K 54.3% 7.7% $150

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Glendale, CA

$425 12.9% 22.3% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Glendale, CA

$366 11.1% 21% $97

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Glendale, CA

$389 11.8% 4.1% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Glendale, CA

$193 5.9% 2.2% $4.1

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Glendale, CA

$79 2.4% 38.6% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Glendale, CA

$52 1.6% 53.7% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,987 in Glendale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Glendale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $425 per month, with Glendale, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Glendale, CA

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

200,831

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Glendale, CA 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Glendale, CA

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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 Glendale, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Glendale, CA is about 13% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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 $2,987 in Glendale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Glendale, CA runs roughly 41% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,195 in Glendale, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Glendale, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 – Glendale, CA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.