Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Knoxville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Knoxville, TN: $2,576 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Knoxville, TN $2,576

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,786 in Knoxville, TN.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Knoxville, TN $3,786

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,997 in Knoxville, TN.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Knoxville, TN $4,997

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Knoxville, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Knoxville, TN 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.71 $17.71

38.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.6 $74.6

31.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.86 $9.86

50.00%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.38 $5.38

21.19%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.83 $2.83

14.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.75 $2.75

15.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.36 $6.36

23.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.60 $6.60

21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.06 $1.06

14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.47 $3.47

48.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.56 $4.56

32.68%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.46 $4.46

9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.08 $10.08

90.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.22 $9.22

105.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.91 $14.91

56.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$7.04 $7.04

-14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.55 $1.55

24.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.87 $2.87

82.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.58 $5.58

17.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.16 $2.16

67.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.36 $4.36

-24.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.23 $2.23

24.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.19 $2.19

14.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.99 $8.99

35.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.23 $15.23

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.91 $1.91

120.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.14 $3.14

83.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.02 $1.02

189.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$29.58 $29.58

259.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.10 $5.10

-48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.51 $1.51

13.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$29.87 $29.87

-0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.01 $1.01

47.52%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.83%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

-3.81%

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

$302 $302

$223 $223

35.17%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$74.4 $74.4

-5.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$53.1 $53.1

60.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$29.37 $29.37

165.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$21.90 $21.90

57.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.20 $15.20

17.37%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,246 $1,246

138.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

27.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$50.9 $50.9

50.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$45.53 $45.53

18.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$112 $112

14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$123 $123

33.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,811 $1,811

35.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,284 $1,284

51.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,901 $2,901

63.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,144 $2,144

61.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$4,681 $4,681

57.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,243 $2,243

128.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,622 $3,622

79.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8% 34% $663

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9% 29.8% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6% 23.3% $106

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8% 24.2% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8% 21.7% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8% 64.2% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3% 47.3% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Knoxville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $383 per month, with Knoxville, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🕒 Local time

05:26 5:26 AM

08:26 8:26 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

190,740

💱 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 Knoxville, TN 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Knoxville, TN

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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 Knoxville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Knoxville, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Knoxville, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,811 in Knoxville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Knoxville, TN – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Knoxville, TN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Knoxville, TN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,576 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Knoxville, TN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Knoxville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.