Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hermosa Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermosa Beach, CA: $2,748 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
132

Cost of Living Index in Hermosa Beach, CA
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Hermosa Beach, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Hermosa Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,748

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Hermosa Beach, CA $2,748

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,129 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Hermosa Beach, CA $4,129

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,511 in Hermosa Beach, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Hermosa Beach, CA $5,511

Seattle, WA costs about 38% more than Hermosa Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Hermosa Beach, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Hermosa Beach, CA by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.31 $25.31

-3.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$121 $121

-18.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.05 $15.05

-1.73%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.10 $6.10

6.89%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.07 $3.07

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.32 $2.32

36.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.88 $7.88

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$10.03 $10.03

-19.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.28 $1.28

-5.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.70 $4.70

9.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.74 $4.74

27.64%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.51 $5.51

-11.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.56 $11.56

65.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.02 $9.02

109.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.23 $19.23

21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.69 $4.69

27.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.30 $2.30

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.95 $3.95

32.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.59 $5.59

17.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.24 $3.24

11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.90 $2.90

14.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 $2.00

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.45 $2.45

2.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.95 $11.95

1.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.87 $14.87

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.45 $2.45

72.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.77 $2.77

108.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.04 $3.04

-12.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.82 $1.82

-5.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.13 $32.13

-7.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.54 $1.54

-3.25%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.0K $29.0K

23.92%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.9K $26.9K

-2.38%

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

$302 $302

$217 $217

38.97%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$77.3 $77.3

-9.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$76.2 $76.2

11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.90 $41.90

85.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$15.06 $15.06

129.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$17.68 $17.68

0.90%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,636 $1,636

81.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.5K $12.5K

150.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$61.7 $61.7

24.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.44 $48.44

11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$106 $106

21.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$104 $104

57.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,566 $1,566

56.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,314 $1,314

48.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,537 $2,537

86.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,150 $2,150

61.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,944 $2,944

150.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,224 $2,224

130.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$7,062 $7,062

-7.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hermosa Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$1.3K 47.8% 32.5% $633

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$420 15.3% 23.1% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$371 13.5% 18.9% $87

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$402 14.6% 0.5% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$144 5.2% 24.3% $46

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$20 * 0.7% 84.5% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Hermosa Beach, CA

$77 2.8% 31.9% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,566 in Hermosa Beach, CA. 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 9% higher in Hermosa Beach, CA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $121 in Hermosa Beach, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $420 in Hermosa Beach, CA – so Hermosa Beach, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hermosa Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

19,728

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Hermosa Beach, CA 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Hermosa Beach, 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 Hermosa Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,121 in Hermosa Beach, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hermosa Beach, CA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA. That's a gap of about 38%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,636 in Hermosa Beach, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,748 in Hermosa Beach, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

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 Hermosa Beach, CA. 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.