Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Goldsboro, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Goldsboro, NC: $1,866 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
91

Cost of Living Index in Goldsboro, NC
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Goldsboro, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Goldsboro, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$1,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Goldsboro, NC

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 Goldsboro, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Goldsboro, NC $1,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,681 in Goldsboro, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Goldsboro, NC $2,681

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,496 in Goldsboro, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Goldsboro, NC $3,496

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 103% more expensive than in Goldsboro, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Goldsboro, NC 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.75 $14.75

66.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$52.3 $52.3

87.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.59 $9.59

54.22%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.33 $4.33

50.58%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.08 $2.08

55.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.60 $1.60

98.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.46 $3.46

126.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.95 $4.95

62.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.86 $0.86

40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.52 $3.52

46.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.24 $3.24

86.73%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.91 $3.91

24.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.99 $12.99

47.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.92 $8.92

112.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.84 $15.84

47.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.92 $3.92

52.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.08 $2.08

-7.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.34 $3.34

57.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.18 $4.18

57.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.34 $2.34

54.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.19 $3.19

3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.88 $1.88

47.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.08 $2.08

20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.23 $7.23

68.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.98 $13.98

6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.67 $1.67

152.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.93 $2.93

96.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.95 $1.95

35.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.36 $2.36

-27.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$18.30 $18.30

62.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.72 $0.72

106.94%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.4K $25.4K

41.11%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.3K $23.3K

12.75%

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

$302 $302

$120 $120

151.64%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$48.77 $48.77

43.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$44.78 $44.78

90.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$45.64 $45.64

70.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.23 $12.23

45.87%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$772 $772

285.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.2K $12.2K

155.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.3 $51.3

49.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$37.17 $37.17

45.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$70.5 $70.5

81.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$69.4 $69.4

136.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,229 $1,229

98.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$868 $868

124.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,702 $1,702

178.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,267 $1,267

173.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,758 $1,758

318.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,748 $1,748

193.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,448 $5,448

19.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.32

9.02%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Goldsboro, NC: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Goldsboro, NC

$868 46.5% 55.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Goldsboro, NC

$358 19.2% 34.4% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Goldsboro, NC

$213 11.4% 53.3% $244

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Goldsboro, NC

$241 12.9% 39.8% $159

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Goldsboro, NC

$103 5.5% 46% $88

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Goldsboro, NC

$14 * 0.7% 89.3% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Goldsboro, NC

$70 3.8% 38.2% $43

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 19% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $52.0 in Goldsboro, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $358 per month, with Goldsboro, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Goldsboro, NC

🕒 Local time

20:57 8:57 PM

23:57 11:57 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

38,203

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Goldsboro, NC 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Goldsboro, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Goldsboro, NC is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 103% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,229 in Goldsboro, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,866 in Goldsboro, NC versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Goldsboro, NC but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Goldsboro, NC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Goldsboro, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Goldsboro, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.