Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kansas City, MO: $2,442 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 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
117

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Kansas City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,442 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Kansas City, MO $2,442

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,599 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Kansas City, MO $3,599

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,756 in Kansas City, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Kansas City, MO $4,756

Seattle, WA costs about 55% more than Kansas City, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Kansas City, MO sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Kansas City, MO by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.16 $25.16

0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$80.5 $80.5

25.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.48 $12.48

18.27%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.98 $5.98

8.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.19 $3.19

0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.46 $2.46

27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.96 $6.96

14.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.61 $7.61

6.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.16 $1.16

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.37 $3.37

57.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.16 $5.16

24.03%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.21 $4.21

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.38 $14.38

30.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.82 $9.82

90.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$13.71 $13.71

66.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.49 $4.49

34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.62 $1.62

20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.43 $4.43

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.52 $5.52

18.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.21 $3.21

8.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.31 $3.31

-0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.28 $2.28

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.10 $2.10

22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$7.93 $7.93

57.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.03 $15.03

-1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.93 $1.93

117.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.95 $3.95

46.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.48 $2.48

4.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.21 $1.21

35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$59.7 $59.7

-49.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.4K $34.4K

7.08%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.60%

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

$308 $308

$199 $199

54.94%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$66.6 $66.6

3.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$72.5 $72.5

18.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$44.00 $44.00

73.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$32.05 $32.05

10.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.17 $15.17

18.79%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,136 $1,136

141.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.0K $21.0K

45.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$61.7 $61.7

28.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$43.49 $43.49

24.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$103 $103

22.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$147 $147

8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,250 $1,250

100.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,087 $1,087

78.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,468 $2,468

107.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,724 $1,724

105.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,584 $2,584

185.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,837 $1,837

172.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,939 $3,939

64.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.56

5.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kansas City, MO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Kansas City, MO

$1.1K 44.5% 43.9% $852

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Kansas City, MO

$392 16.1% 28.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Kansas City, MO

$338 13.8% 27.1% $125

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Kansas City, MO

$383 15.7% 5.7% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Kansas City, MO

$160 6.6% 15.2% $29

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Kansas City, MO

$8.5 * 0.4% 93.4% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Kansas City, MO

$74 3% 33.9% $38

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,250 in Kansas City, MO. 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 64% 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 $81 in Kansas City, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $392 – making Kansas City, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Kansas City, MO

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

463,202

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Kansas City, MO 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Kansas City, MO

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,442 in Kansas City, MO – Kansas City, MO comes out roughly 35% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,664 in Kansas City, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kansas City, MO, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,250 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,442 in Kansas City, MO. That makes Kansas City, MO about 35% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,136 in Kansas City, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kansas City, MO, where all-in costs run around $2,442, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Kansas City, MO it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,442 in Kansas City, MO to $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kansas City, MO. 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.