Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Johnson City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,138 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,138 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Johnson City, TN $2,138

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,133 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Johnson City, TN $3,133

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,129 in Johnson City, TN, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Johnson City, TN $4,129

Seattle, WA costs about 77% more than Johnson City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Johnson City, TN sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Johnson City, TN by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$13.78 $13.78

83.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$53.9 $53.9

87.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.88 $9.88

49.39%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.14 $5.14

26.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.88 $2.88

11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.03 $2.03

54.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.93 $4.93

61.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.04 $6.04

34.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.75 $3.75

41.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.97 $3.97

61.21%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.11 $3.11

62.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.53 $7.53

148.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.67 $13.67

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$13.09 $13.09

74.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.59 $7.59

-20.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.73 $1.73

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.10 $4.10

34.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.65 $3.65

78.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.40 $3.40

2.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.34 $4.34

-24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.20 $2.20

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.36 $2.36

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.01 $9.01

38.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.14 $13.14

13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.61 $1.61

160.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.42 $4.42

31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.97 $0.97

214.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$25.13 $25.13

321.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.58 $5.58

-53.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.44 $1.44

13.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.19 $15.19

98.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.83 $0.83

69.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.0K $30.0K

22.66%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.60%

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

$308 $308

$172 $172

78.67%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.9 $51.9

33.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.5 $62.5

37.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$47.20 $47.20

61.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.14 $20.14

76.27%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.88 $11.88

51.68%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,185 $1,185

131.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$14.6K $14.6K

109.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$37.41 $37.41

111.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$30.80 $30.80

76.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$87.4 $87.4

45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$94.4 $94.4

68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,178 $1,178

112.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$980 $980

97.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,992 $1,992

156.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,616 $1,616

119.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,444 $2,444

201.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,033 $2,033

146.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,584 $3,584

80.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.49

6.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9% 49.4% $958

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1% 29.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4% 38.1% $176

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1% 36.5% $148

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3% 40.4% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Johnson City, TN

$42 2% 67.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3% 36.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,178 in Johnson City, 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 81% 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 $54 in Johnson City, TN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $388 – making Johnson City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🕒 Local time

15:19 3:19 PM

18:19 6:19 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

66,027

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Johnson City, TN 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,207 in Johnson City, TN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Johnson City, TN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,178 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $54 in Johnson City, TN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,138 in Johnson City, TN. That makes Johnson City, TN about 44% cheaper.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Johnson City, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,138, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Johnson City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Johnson City, 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 Johnson City, 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.