Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Great Falls, MT

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,223 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
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Great Falls, MT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,223 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Great Falls, MT $2,223

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,105 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Great Falls, MT $3,105

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,987 in Great Falls, MT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Great Falls, MT $3,987

Seattle, WA costs about 69% more than Great Falls, MT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Great Falls, MT sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Great Falls, MT by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$15.08 $15.08

57.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$39.24 $39.24

151.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$9.70 $9.70

54.02%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.38 $4.38

55.02%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.45 $2.45

31.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.95 $1.95

61.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.97 $5.97

37.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.09 $6.09

29.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.11 $1.11

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.33 $3.33

58.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$5.00 $5.00

15.20%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.27 $3.27

49.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$16.62 $16.62

21.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.19 $10.19

76.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$12.15 $12.15

92.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.96 $4.96

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.40 $1.40

35.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.14 $4.14

29.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.21 $2.21

197.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.39 $2.39

41.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.91 $2.91

-1.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.40 $2.40

20.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.27 $3.27

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.47 $8.47

43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$17.94 $17.94

-15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.01 $2.01

117.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.43 $4.43

32.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$29.78 $29.78

266.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$6.16 $6.16

-59.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.35 $1.35

27.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$39.70 $39.70

-25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.98 $0.98

54.08%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$32.7K $32.7K

10.57%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

6.69%

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

$289 $289

$131 $131

120.64%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$39.45 $39.45

75.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$68.4 $68.4

24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$63.4 $63.4

9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$11.57 $11.57

55.32%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$927 $927

204.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$17.7K $17.7K

148.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$25.14 $25.14

262.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$29.60 $29.60

86.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$80.7 $80.7

57.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$64.4 $64.4

151.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,420 $1,420

81.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,111 $1,111

74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,626 $2,626

94.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,655 $1,655

113.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,207 $2,207

233.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,205 $2,205

123.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,555 $3,555

81.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.2

9.68%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Great Falls, MT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 50% 42.8% $832

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Great Falls, MT

$392 17.7% 27.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Great Falls, MT

$239 10.7% 46.1% $204

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Great Falls, MT

$262 11.8% 34.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1% 54.1% $106

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9% 67.7% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9% 17.9% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,420 in Great Falls, MT. 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 81% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $39 in Great Falls, MT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $392 – making Great Falls, MT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

11:43 11:43 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

60,442

💱 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 Great Falls, MT 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Great Falls, MT

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 Great Falls, MT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 69% more than Great Falls, MT, 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 $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,334 in Great Falls, MT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Great Falls, MT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,420 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $39 in Great Falls, MT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,223 in Great Falls, MT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Great Falls, MT – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Great Falls, MT. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.