Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Jackson, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Jackson, TN: $2,209 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Jackson, TN
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Jackson, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Jackson, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,209

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Jackson, TN

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 Jackson, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,209 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Jackson, TN $2,209

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,140 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Jackson, TN $3,140

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,071 in Jackson, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Jackson, TN $4,071

Seattle, WA costs about 70% more than Jackson, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Jackson, TN sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Jackson, TN by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.20 $17.20

38.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$49.11 $49.11

100.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.45 $10.45

42.97%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.07 $5.07

33.93%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.44 $2.44

32.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.83 $1.83

72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.99 $3.99

105.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.90 $4.90

60.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.83 $0.83

40.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.15 $3.15

67.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.62 $2.62

119.85%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.31 $4.31

13.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$9.44 $9.44

114.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.25 $10.25

75.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$15.01 $15.01

55.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.91 $3.91

51.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.36 $1.36

38.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.69 $2.69

98.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.07 $3.07

114.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.74 $1.74

94.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.27 $2.27

26.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.86 $1.86

55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.92 $1.92

26.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.26 $8.26

47.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.81 $12.81

18.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.72 $1.72

154.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.02 $2.02

191.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.26 $1.26

134.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$34.36 $34.36

217.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.96 $1.96

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.25 $1.25

37.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$20.19 $20.19

47.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.90 $0.90

67.78%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$30.4K $30.4K

19.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

1.71%

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

$289 $289

$170 $170

70.35%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$65.6 $65.6

5.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$72.6 $72.6

16.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$50.6 $50.6

37.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$50.8 $50.8

-30.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$11.21 $11.21

60.30%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,116 $1,116

152.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$14.7K $14.7K

198.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$50.5 $50.5

80.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$36.72 $36.72

49.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$64.4 $64.4

97.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$98.2 $98.2

65.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,206 $1,206

113.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,067 $1,067

82.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$1,630 $1,630

212.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,602 $1,602

121.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$1,719 $1,719

327.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$1,714 $1,714

187.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,206 $4,206

53.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.53

4.13%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Jackson, TN: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Jackson, TN

$1.1K 48.3% 45.1% $876

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Jackson, TN

$324 14.7% 40.3% $219

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Jackson, TN

$308 13.9% 30.5% $135

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Jackson, TN

$277 12.5% 30.7% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Jackson, TN

$112 5.1% 42.6% $83

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Jackson, TN

$48 2.2% 64% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Jackson, TN

$73 3.3% 30.7% $32

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,206 in Jackson, TN. 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 53% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $49 in Jackson, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $324 – making Jackson, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Jackson, TN

🕒 Local time

04:03 4:03 AM

06:03 6:03 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

153,701

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Jackson, TN 3,060 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Jackson, TN

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 Jackson, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA, $2,209 in Jackson, TN – Jackson, TN comes out roughly 41% 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 $3,313 in Jackson, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jackson, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,206 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $49 in Jackson, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Jackson, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,209, than in Seattle, WA at $3,762. In Jackson, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jackson, TN – 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 Jackson, TN. 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.