Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Kearney, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Kearney, NE: $2,077 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Kearney, NE
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Kearney, NE Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Kearney, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Kearney, NE

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 Kearney, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,077 in Kearney, NE.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Kearney, NE $2,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,910 in Kearney, NE.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Kearney, NE $2,910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,744 in Kearney, NE.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Kearney, NE $3,744

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 82% more expensive than in Kearney, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Kearney, NE 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.11 $15.11

67.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$59.7 $59.7

68.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.66 $11.66

26.59%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.19 $5.19

25.24%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.21 $2.21

45.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.85 $1.85

69.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.08 $4.08

95.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.08 $5.08

60.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.82 $0.82

42.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.61 $1.61

229.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.64 $3.64

75.82%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.59 $3.59

40.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.04 $9.04

106.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.44 $6.44

190.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.32 $15.32

49.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.63 $5.63

7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.06 $2.06

-5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.92 $4.92

11.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.19 $4.19

55.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.81 $1.81

92.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.95 $2.95

11.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.14 $9.14

36.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.04 $15.04

-1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.78 $1.78

135.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$1.98 $1.98

192.93%

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

$2.95 $2.95

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.33 $1.33

23.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.92 $24.92

20.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$24.4K $24.4K

50.95%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.9K $26.9K

-1.28%

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

$308 $308

$277 $277

10.91%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$64.4 $64.4

7.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.4 $73.4

17.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$54.7 $54.7

39.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$5.86 $5.86

505.80%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.48 $12.48

44.39%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,033 $1,033

165.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$19.4K $19.4K

57.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$30.51 $30.51

159.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.13 $40.13

35.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$94.5 $94.5

34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,038 $1,038

141.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$843 $843

130.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,487 $1,487

244.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,196 $1,196

196.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,631 $1,631

352.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,621 $1,621

208.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$7,624 $7,624

-15.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kearney, NE: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Kearney, NE

$843 40.6% 56.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Kearney, NE

$337 16.2% 38.5% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Kearney, NE

$415 20% 10.3% $48

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Kearney, NE

$265 12.8% 34.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Kearney, NE

$129 6.2% 31.9% $60

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Kearney, NE

$9.6 * 0.5% 92.6% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Kearney, NE

$80 3.8% 29.2% $33

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,038 in Kearney, NE. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kearney, NE pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $60 in Kearney, NE for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $337 per month, with Kearney, NE cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Kearney, NE

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

29,385

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Kearney, NE 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Kearney, NE

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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 Kearney, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,077 in Kearney, NE, so Kearney, NE is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Seattle, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,038 in Kearney, NE. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,077 in Kearney, NE – Kearney, NE is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,077 in Kearney, NE versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kearney, NE but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Kearney, NE the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.