Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Houston, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Houston, TX: $2,719 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Houston, TX
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Houston, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,719

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Houston, TX

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 Houston, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,719 in Houston, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Houston, TX $2,719

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,904 in Houston, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Houston, TX $3,904

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,089 in Houston, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Houston, TX $5,089

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Houston, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Houston, TX 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.09 $20.09

22.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.6 $75.6

29.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.86 $9.86

50.00%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.44 $5.44

19.85%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.64 $2.64

22.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.24 $2.24

41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.85 $5.85

34.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.95 $7.95

1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.88 $0.88

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.38 $3.38

52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.23 $4.23

43.03%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.35 $3.35

45.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.25 $11.25

70.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.70 $12.70

48.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.34 $16.34

42.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.05 $4.05

47.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.46 $1.46

32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.01 $3.01

74.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.80 $3.80

72.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.13 $2.13

69.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.75 $2.75

20.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.95 $1.95

42.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.57 $2.57

-2.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.20 $10.20

19.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.54 $14.54

1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.57 $2.57

64.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.96 $2.96

94.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.22 $1.22

141.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$75.4 $75.4

40.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.93 $2.93

-9.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.27 $24.27

22.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.7K $33.7K

6.43%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

-3.93%

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

$302 $302

$199 $199

51.52%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$64.7 $64.7

8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$77.8 $77.8

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.21 $39.21

98.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$20.61 $20.61

67.78%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.88 $14.88

19.89%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,198 $2,198

35.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$22.3K $22.3K

40.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$50.8 $50.8

50.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.79 $47.79

13.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$106 $106

20.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$95.8 $95.8

71.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,680 $1,680

45.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,385 $1,385

40.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,001 $3,001

58.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,157 $2,157

60.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,400 $2,400

206.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,799 $1,799

185.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,204 $4,204

54.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.7

2.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Houston, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Houston, TX

$1.4K 50.9% 28.8% $562

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Houston, TX

$378 13.9% 30.8% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Houston, TX

$342 12.6% 25.3% $116

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Houston, TX

$320 11.8% 19.9% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Houston, TX

$135 5% 28.9% $55

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Houston, TX

$91 3.3% 30% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Houston, TX

$69 2.5% 39.2% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,680 in Houston, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 55% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in Houston, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $378 per month, with Houston, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

06:10 6:10 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,304,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Houston, TX 3,040 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Houston, TX

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 Houston, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Houston, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Houston, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 55% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,680 in Houston, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Houston, TX – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Houston, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Houston, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,719 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Houston, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Houston, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.