Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Kailua, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,762 a month against $4,083 in Kailua, HI, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Kailua, HI
Learn more

Kailua, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Kailua, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$4,083

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Kailua, HI

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 Kailua, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $4,083 in Kailua, HI.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Kailua, HI $4,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $6,047 in Kailua, HI.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Kailua, HI $6,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $8,011 in Kailua, HI.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Kailua, HI $8,011

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 8% less than in Kailua, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Kailua, HI 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$27.34 $27.34

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$139 $139

-29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.30 $11.30

32.21%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$6.15 $6.15

10.41%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.93 $2.93

10.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.39 $2.39

31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$9.27 $9.27

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$9.24 $9.24

-14.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.20 $2.20

-46.82%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$7.29 $7.29

-27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$7.79 $7.79

-26.06%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$8.22 $8.22

-40.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$19.21 $19.21

5.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$16.23 $16.23

10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$21.84 $21.84

6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$7.72 $7.72

-23.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$4.40 $4.40

-57.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$7.11 $7.11

-24.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$9.67 $9.67

-32.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.77 $3.77

-10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$4.78 $4.78

-39.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$4.51 $4.51

-35.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.16 $3.16

-23.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.94 $12.94

-5.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$16.74 $16.74

-8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.66 $2.66

64.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.04 $2.04

188.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.98 $3.98

-25.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$90.5 $90.5

20.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.49 $3.49

-27.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.65 $2.65

-35.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$44.72 $44.72

-33.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.28 $1.28

17.97%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$35.1K $35.1K

3.18%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.4K $26.4K

-2.56%

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

$289 $289

$248 $248

16.40%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$50.3 $50.3

37.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$65.8 $65.8

28.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$70.2 $70.2

-1.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$40.36 $40.36

-13.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$18.85 $18.85

-4.67%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$2,142 $2,142

31.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

60.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$61.6 $61.6

48.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$46.91 $46.91

17.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$101 $101

26.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$130 $130

24.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$2,798 $2,798

-7.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$2,290 $2,290

-15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$4,185 $4,185

21.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$3,745 $3,745

-5.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$12.3K $12.3K

-40.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$9,901 $9,901

-50.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,744 $4,744

35.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.79

0.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kailua, HI: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Kailua, HI

$2.3K 56.1% 17.9% $348

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Kailua, HI

$633 15.5% 16.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Kailua, HI

$364 8.9% 17.7% $78

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Kailua, HI

$413 10.1% 3.4% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Kailua, HI

$152 3.7% 22.2% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Kailua, HI

$123 3% 6.8% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Kailua, HI

$108 2.6% 2.4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $2,798 in Kailua, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $139 in Kailua, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $633 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Kailua, HI

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

2 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Kailua, HI 4,340 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Kailua, HI

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 Kailua, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $2,798 in Kailua, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kailua, HI runs roughly 17% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $2,142 in Kailua, HI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.