Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Highland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Highland, CA: $2,866 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,866 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Highland, CA $2,866

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,109 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Highland, CA $4,109

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,352 in Highland, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Highland, CA $5,352

Seattle, WA costs about 31% more than Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Highland, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Highland, CA by 112%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$25.43 $25.43

-6.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$78.5 $78.5

25.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.77 $14.77

1.15%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.61 $5.61

21.03%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.09 $3.09

4.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.45 $2.45

28.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.11 $7.11

15.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$10.16 $10.16

-22.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.28 $1.28

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.85 $4.85

9.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.84 $4.84

19.01%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.48 $5.48

-10.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$10.81 $10.81

87.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$8.63 $8.63

108.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.74 $19.74

18.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.78 $4.78

24.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.21 $2.21

-14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.01 $4.01

33.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.32 $5.32

23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.25 $3.25

4.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.79 $2.79

3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.98 $1.98

45.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.65 $2.65

-8.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.67 $11.67

4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.06 $15.06

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.45 $2.45

78.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.77 $2.77

112.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.94 $1.94

52.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$59.9 $59.9

82.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.74 $3.74

-32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.24 $2.24

-23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$38.33 $38.33

-22.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.59 $1.59

-5.03%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.7K $28.7K

25.91%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

-3.57%

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

$289 $289

$217 $217

33.06%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$78.8 $78.8

-12.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.0 $79.0

7.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$39.43 $39.43

76.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$18.72 $18.72

-4.01%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,201 $1,201

134.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$12.8K $12.8K

242.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$63.7 $63.7

43.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$47.17 $47.17

16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$107 $107

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$104 $104

56.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,468 $1,468

75.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,374 $1,374

41.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,785 $2,785

83.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,102 $2,102

68.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,804 $2,804

162.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,225 $2,225

121.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.31

7.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Highland, CA

$1.4K 48% 29.3% $568

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Highland, CA

$420 14.7% 22.7% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Highland, CA

$375 13.1% 15.3% $68

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Highland, CA

$393 13.7% 1.5% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Highland, CA

$144 5% 26.3% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Highland, CA

$83 2.9% 37.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Highland, CA

$77 2.7% 27.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,468 in Highland, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $79 in Highland, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $420 – making Highland, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

20:32 8:32 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

51,550

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
Highland, CA

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 Highland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA, $2,866 in Highland, CA – Highland, CA comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,300 in Highland, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Highland, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,468 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $79 in Highland, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,866 in Highland, CA. That makes Highland, CA about 24% cheaper.

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

For expats, Highland, CA is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 24% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.