Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hillsboro, OR: $2,898 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Hillsboro, OR
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Hillsboro, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Hillsboro, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,898

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Hillsboro, OR $2,898

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,926 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Hillsboro, OR $3,926

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,954 in Hillsboro, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Hillsboro, OR $4,954

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

Both Seattle, WA and Hillsboro, OR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Hillsboro, OR by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.12 $22.12

14.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.1 $61.1

65.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.78 $7.78

89.72%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.75 $4.75

36.84%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.80 $2.80

14.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.02 $2.02

55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.86 $4.86

63.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.97 $5.97

36.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 $1.05

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.76 $3.76

40.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.41 $5.41

18.30%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.81 $3.81

32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.02 $10.02

86.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.82 $13.82

35.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.53 $19.53

17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.68 $3.68

64.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.69 $1.69

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.77 $3.77

46.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.36 $3.36

94.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.17 $2.17

60.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.19 $2.19

50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.00 $2.00

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.87 $1.87

37.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.08 $10.08

23.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.57 $13.57

9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.71 $1.71

145.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.63 $3.63

59.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.82 $2.82

8.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$99.5 $99.5

6.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.85 $4.85

-46.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.34 $1.34

22.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.80 $29.80

1.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.15 $1.15

22.61%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$18.6K $18.6K

97.41%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.3K $22.3K

19.25%

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

$308 $308

$151 $151

103.82%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$41.00 $41.00

68.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$48.47 $48.47

77.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$52.3 $52.3

46.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$12.10 $12.10

193.39%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.18 $14.18

27.08%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,208 $1,208

127.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$12.0K $12.0K

154.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$38.21 $38.21

107.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$38.70 $38.70

40.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$95.1 $95.1

33.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$85.9 $85.9

84.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,894 $1,894

32.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,639 $1,639

18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,831 $2,831

80.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,154 $2,154

64.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,329 $3,329

121.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,328 $3,328

50.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,697 $4,697

37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.22

10.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hillsboro, OR: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Hillsboro, OR

$1.6K 56.5% 15.5% $300

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Hillsboro, OR

$387 13.4% 29.2% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Hillsboro, OR

$240 8.3% 48.1% $222

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Hillsboro, OR

$313 10.8% 23% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Hillsboro, OR

$116 4% 38.5% $73

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hillsboro, OR

$122 4.2% 5.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Hillsboro, OR

$81 2.8% 28.3% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,894 in Hillsboro, OR. 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 38% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $61 in Hillsboro, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $387 – making Hillsboro, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hillsboro, OR

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

106,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Hillsboro, OR 240 km

From you

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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 Hillsboro, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 31% more than Hillsboro, OR, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,348 in Hillsboro, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hillsboro, OR, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,894 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR. That makes Hillsboro, OR about 23% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Hillsboro, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,898 in Hillsboro, OR. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Hillsboro, OR. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.