Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Gresham, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Gresham, OR: $2,758 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Gresham, OR
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Gresham, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Gresham, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Gresham, OR

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 Gresham, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,758 in Gresham, OR.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Gresham, OR $2,758

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,721 in Gresham, OR.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Gresham, OR $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,684 in Gresham, OR.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Gresham, OR $4,684

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Gresham, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Gresham, OR 103% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.35 $25.35

-0.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$83.7 $83.7

20.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.27 $12.27

20.29%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.08 $6.08

6.91%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.94 $2.94

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.67 $1.67

88.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.40 $6.40

24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.92 $6.92

17.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.21 $4.21

25.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.18 $3.18

101.26%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.24 $4.24

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.08 $12.08

54.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.52 $10.52

77.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.30 $17.30

32.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.47 $4.47

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.63 $1.63

19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.69 $2.69

104.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.55 $2.55

155.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.20 $2.20

58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.79 $1.79

83.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.07 $2.07

35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.77 $1.77

45.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.12 $12.12

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.19 $11.19

32.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.14 $2.14

95.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.44 $2.44

137.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.82 $2.82

8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.47 $4.47

-42.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.71 $0.71

130.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.91 $23.91

25.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.30 $1.30

8.46%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.6K $28.6K

28.72%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.44%

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

$308 $308

$199 $199

54.45%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$71.6 $71.6

-3.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$67.4 $67.4

27.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$30.12 $30.12

153.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.94 $11.94

50.92%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,335 $1,335

105.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$13.2K $13.2K

130.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$40.31 $40.31

96.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$30.49 $30.49

78.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.6 $84.6

49.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$83.8 $83.8

89.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,626 $1,626

54.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,506 $1,506

28.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,825 $2,825

81.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,875 $1,875

88.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,984 $3,984

62.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.7

2.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Gresham, OR: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Gresham, OR

$1.5K 54.6% 22.3% $432

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Gresham, OR

$356 12.9% 34.9% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Gresham, OR

$338 12.3% 27% $125

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Gresham, OR

$377 13.7% 7.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Gresham, OR

$108 3.9% 43% $81

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Gresham, OR

$19 * 0.7% 85% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Gresham, OR

$54 2% 52% $58

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,626 in Gresham, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 62% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $84 in Gresham, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $356 per month, with Gresham, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Gresham, OR

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

114,247

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Gresham, OR 230 km

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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 Gresham, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,758 in Gresham, OR, so Gresham, OR is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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 $1,626 in Gresham, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,335 in Gresham, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Gresham, OR – a meal for two runs $84 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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