Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hanover, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Hanover, NH: $2,559 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Hanover, NH
Learn more

Hanover, NH Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Hanover, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,559

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Hanover, NH

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 Hanover, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,559 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Hanover, NH $2,559

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,241 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Hanover, NH $4,241

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,923 in Hanover, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Hanover, NH $5,923

Seattle, WA costs about 48% more than Hanover, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Hanover, NH sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Hanover, NH by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$17.76 $17.76

42.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$74.8 $74.8

35.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.12 $11.12

33.54%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.96 $4.96

32.86%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.96 $1.96

64.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.49 $2.49

26.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.89 $6.89

18.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.94 $4.94

62.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.11 $1.11

9.01%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.69 $4.69

9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$8.29 $8.29

-24.00%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.92 $3.92

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$19.17 $19.17

-0.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.24 $10.24

80.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$16.37 $16.37

40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.78 $4.78

21.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 $1.65

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.91 $5.91

-10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.67 $6.67

-2.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$6.12 $6.12

-41.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.78 $3.78

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.14 $3.14

-9.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.60 $2.60

-6.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.11 $11.11

14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.77 $14.77

1.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.92 $1.92

117.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.59 $2.59

131.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.06 $2.06

23.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.50 $1.50

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$11.09 $11.09

166.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.00 $1.00

42.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.5K $36.5K

-2.03%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.1K $25.1K

1.75%

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

$299 $299

$122 $122

144.51%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$70.2 $70.2

0.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$59.9 $59.9

47.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$54.1 $54.1

47.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$25.21 $25.21

40.30%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.21 $14.21

20.48%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,228 $1,228

145.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$52.4 $52.4

47.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$60.9 $60.9

-9.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$100 $100

25.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$134 $134

21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,506 $1,506

63.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,292 $1,292

51.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$4,198 $4,198

12.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$3,006 $3,006

18.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$7,111 $7,111

3.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,653 $2,653

90.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,405 $5,405

16.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.5

5.38%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Hanover, NH: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Hanover, NH

$1.3K 50.5% 34% $664

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Hanover, NH

$470 18.4% 13.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Hanover, NH

$252 9.9% 44.9% $206

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Hanover, NH

$297 11.6% 27.3% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Hanover, NH

$157 6.1% 17.3% $33

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Hanover, NH

$9.6 * 0.4% 92.8% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Hanover, NH

$82 3.2% 27.5% $31

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 $1,506 in Hanover, NH. 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 16% 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 $75.0 in Hanover, NH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $470 – making Hanover, NH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hanover, NH

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,260

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Hanover, NH 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Hanover, NH

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 Hanover, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 48% more than Hanover, NH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,839 in Hanover, NH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hanover, NH, 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 $75.0 in Hanover, NH. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,559 in Hanover, NH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Hanover, NH costs $2,559 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Hanover, NH. 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.