Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and High Point, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in High Point, NC: $2,187 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 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
106

Cost of Living Index in High Point, NC
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High Point, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

High Point, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in High Point, 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 High Point, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,187 in High Point, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
High Point, NC $2,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,183 in High Point, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
High Point, NC $3,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,180 in High Point, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
High Point, NC $4,180

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 73% more expensive than in High Point, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, High Point, NC 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.93 $17.93

41.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$80.9 $80.9

24.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.91 $9.91

48.94%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.39 $5.39

20.59%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.70 $2.70

18.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.01 $2.01

56.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.89 $4.89

62.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.07 $6.07

33.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.94 $0.94

24.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.01 $4.01

32.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.22 $3.22

98.76%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.29 $4.29

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.53 $16.53

13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.62 $13.62

37.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.34 $18.34

24.75%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.44 $5.44

11.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.48 $1.48

31.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.75 $4.75

16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.65 $4.65

40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.83 $3.83

-8.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.40 $3.40

-3.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.96 $1.96

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.26 $2.26

14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.79 $8.79

42.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.22 $15.22

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.64 $1.64

155.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.79 $3.79

53.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.46 $2.46

23.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$79.1 $79.1

33.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.02 $3.02

-14.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.91 $1.91

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$14.86 $14.86

102.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.01 $1.01

39.60%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.9K $29.9K

23.13%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.55%

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

$308 $308

$172 $172

78.75%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.1 $52.1

32.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$74.3 $74.3

15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.12 $12.12

48.68%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,292 $1,292

112.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$10.1K $10.1K

203.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$38.75 $38.75

104.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$34.60 $34.60

56.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$85.0 $85.0

49.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$111 $111

42.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,174 $1,174

113.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$918 $918

111.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,438 $1,438

255.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,312 $1,312

170.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,954 $1,954

277.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,923 $1,923

160.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,261 $4,261

51.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for High Point, NC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

High Point, NC

$918 42% 52.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

High Point, NC

$430 19.7% 21.4% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

High Point, NC

$299 13.7% 35.5% $164

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

High Point, NC

$293 13.4% 27.8% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

High Point, NC

$121 5.6% 35.7% $67

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

High Point, NC

$102 4.6% 21.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

High Point, NC

$24 * 1.1% 78.4% $88

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 $1,174 in High Point, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 52% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81 in High Point, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $430 per month, with High Point, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 High Point, NC

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

05:07 5:07 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

104,371

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA High Point, NC 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
High Point, NC

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 High Point, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,187 in High Point, NC, so High Point, NC is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $1,174 in High Point, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in High Point, NC – a meal for two runs $81 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,187 in High Point, NC – High Point, NC is about 42% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,187 in High Point, NC versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in High Point, NC but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes High Point, NC the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find High Point, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.