Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Jacksonville, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Jacksonville, FL: $2,487 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Jacksonville, FL
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Jacksonville, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Jacksonville, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,487

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Jacksonville, FL

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 Jacksonville, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Jacksonville, FL $2,487

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,787 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Jacksonville, FL $3,787

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,087 in Jacksonville, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Jacksonville, FL $5,087

Seattle, WA costs about 52% more than Jacksonville, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Jacksonville, FL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Jacksonville, FL by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.69 $19.69

28.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.37 $11.37

29.82%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.58 $5.58

16.49%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.11 $3.11

3.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.18 $2.18

44.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.98 $4.98

60.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.19 $7.19

13.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.00 $1.00

17.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.35 $3.35

58.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.73 $3.73

71.58%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.40 $4.40

15.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.72 $13.72

36.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.57 $9.57

95.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.24 $16.24

40.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.82 $4.82

25.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.42 $1.42

37.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.97 $3.97

38.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.53 $4.53

43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.93 $2.93

19.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.06 $3.06

7.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.67 $2.67

4.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.50 $2.50

3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.34 $9.34

33.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.63 $14.63

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.05 $2.05

104.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.21 $3.21

80.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.77 $1.77

72.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$64.5 $64.5

64.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.51 $1.51

70.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.17 $1.17

40.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$13.75 $13.75

119.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 $1.04

35.58%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$31.3K $31.3K

17.47%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.91%

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

$308 $308

$218 $218

41.18%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$64.4 $64.4

7.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.2 $68.2

26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$35.02 $35.02

118.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$6.49 $6.49

447.00%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.76 $14.76

22.09%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,318 $1,318

108.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$12.0K $12.0K

154.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$64.1 $64.1

23.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.85 $47.85

13.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$112 $112

13.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$151 $151

5.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,651 $1,651

51.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,118 $1,118

73.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,590 $2,590

97.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,963 $1,963

80.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,356 $2,356

212.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,066 $2,066

142.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,010 $4,010

61.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.69

2.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Jacksonville, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Jacksonville, FL

$1.1K 45% 42.3% $820

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Jacksonville, FL

$386 15.5% 29.3% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Jacksonville, FL

$350 14.1% 24.3% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Jacksonville, FL

$319 12.8% 21.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Jacksonville, FL

$169 6.8% 10.5% $20

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Jacksonville, FL

$79 3.2% 38.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Jacksonville, FL

$65 2.6% 42.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,651 in Jacksonville, FL. 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 61% 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 $102 in Jacksonville, FL. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $386 in Jacksonville, FL – so Jacksonville, FL wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL

🕒 Local time

07:59 7:59 AM

10:59 10:59 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

949,611

💱 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 Jacksonville, FL 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Jacksonville, FL

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 Jacksonville, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 52% more than Jacksonville, FL, 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 $3,730 in Jacksonville, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jacksonville, FL, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,651 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL. That makes Jacksonville, FL about 34% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,318 in Jacksonville, FL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,487 in Jacksonville, FL. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Jacksonville, FL – 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 Jacksonville, FL. 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.