Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Jefferson City, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO: $1,853 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
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Jefferson City, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Jefferson City, MO

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 Jefferson City, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Jefferson City, MO $1,853

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Jefferson City, MO $2,907

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Jefferson City, MO $3,962

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 105% more expensive than in Jefferson City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Jefferson City, MO 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$15.07 $15.07

68.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$40.75 $40.75

149.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.97 $9.97

48.95%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.34 $5.34

23.41%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.04 $2.04

57.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.21 $2.21

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.41 $5.41

51.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.67 $6.67

20.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.86 $0.86

40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.37 $3.37

51.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.43 $4.43

42.21%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.18 $4.18

17.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$4.52 $4.52

322.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.94 $9.94

86.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.34 $13.34

72.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.41 $4.41

31.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.57 $1.57

24.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.32 $4.32

22.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.30 $4.30

50.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.06 $3.06

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.31 $3.31

-4.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.40 $2.40

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.94 $1.94

24.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.12 $8.12

57.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$12.34 $12.34

21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.94 $1.94

114.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.86 $3.86

55.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.05 $3.05

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.56 $2.56

-0.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.22 $1.22

34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$61.1 $61.1

-51.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.85 $0.85

67.06%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.5K $35.5K

0.73%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.8K $24.8K

2.94%

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

$299 $299

$201 $201

48.91%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$66.5 $66.5

6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$70.4 $70.4

25.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.16 $15.16

12.93%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,192 $1,192

152.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

48.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$50.1 $50.1

54.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.77 $43.77

25.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$104 $104

21.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$126 $126

28.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$880 $880

179.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$705 $705

177.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,777 $1,777

165.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,597 $1,597

122.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$1,541 $1,541

376.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,732 $1,732

191.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$1,918 $1,918

227.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.56

4.42%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Jefferson City, MO: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1% 64% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4% 37% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2% 26.3% $120

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7% 33.4% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9% 23% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1% 84.3% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6% 73.3% $83

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $880 in Jefferson City, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 228% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $341 per month, with Jefferson City, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

02:06 2:06 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

43,079

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Jefferson City, MO 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Jefferson City, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jefferson City, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 105% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 228% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $880 in Jefferson City, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,192 in Jefferson City, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jefferson City, MO but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Jefferson City, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Jefferson City, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Jefferson City, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Jefferson City, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.