Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Key West, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,808 in Key West, FL, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Key West, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
233

Cost of Living Index in Key West, FL
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Key West, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Key West, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$4,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Key West, FL

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 Key West, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,808 in Key West, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Key West, FL $4,808

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $7,043 in Key West, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Key West, FL $7,043

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $9,278 in Key West, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Key West, FL $9,278

Seattle, WA is about 21% cheaper than Key West, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Key West, FL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Key West, FL by 256%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$22.31 $22.31

13.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.3 $98.3

3.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.87 $11.87

25.11%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.56 $4.56

44.52%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.26 $2.26

42.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.90 $1.90

65.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.85 $5.85

39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.84 $6.84

17.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.68 $3.68

39.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$6.74 $6.74

-6.53%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.16 $5.16

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.61 $11.61

64.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$13.34 $13.34

38.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$23.97 $23.97

-3.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.81 $4.81

20.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 $1.86

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.67 $3.67

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.17 $5.17

25.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.93 $5.93

-39.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.33 $3.33

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.60 $3.60

-20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.65 $2.65

-8.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.18 $8.18

55.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.18 $14.18

5.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.99 $1.99

109.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.38 $2.38

151.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.98 $3.98

-23.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.90 $3.90

-34.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.12 $3.12

-47.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$30.20 $30.20

-2.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.91 $0.91

56.04%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.5K $36.5K

-2.02%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-1.09%

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

$299 $299

$215 $215

38.99%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$54.4 $54.4

30.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$73.3 $73.3

20.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$79.6 $79.6

-0.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.05 $14.05

21.85%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,090 $1,090

176.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$20.7K $20.7K

52.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$47.58 $47.58

62.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$41.78 $41.78

31.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$71.7 $71.7

75.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$69.1 $69.1

135.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$3,436 $3,436

-28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$3,432 $3,432

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$7,122 $7,122

-33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$6,144 $6,144

-42.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$9,644 $9,644

-23.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$9,886 $9,886

-48.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,967 $5,967

5.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.38

7.37%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Key West, FL: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Key West, FL

$3.4K 71.4% 75.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Key West, FL

$457 9.5% 15.6% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Key West, FL

$343 7.1% 25.2% $115

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Key West, FL

$328 6.8% 19.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Key West, FL

$104 2.2% 45.3% $86

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Key West, FL

$35 * 0.7% 73.4% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Key West, FL

$108 2.2% 5.3% $6.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $3,436 in Key West, FL. 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 5% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $98.0 in Key West, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $457 – making Key West, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Key West, FL

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

00:19 12:19 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

24,684

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Key West, FL 4,380 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Key West, FL

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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 Key West, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Key West, FL costs about 27% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $7,211 in Key West, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $98.0 in Key West, FL. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Key West, FL – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $4,808 in Key West, FL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – 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 Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Key West, FL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.