Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Laurel, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Laurel, MD: $2,538 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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 Laurel, MD
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Laurel, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Laurel, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Laurel, MD

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 Laurel, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,538 in Laurel, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Laurel, MD $2,538

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,254 in Laurel, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Laurel, MD $4,254

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,969 in Laurel, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Laurel, MD $5,969

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Laurel, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Laurel, MD 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.12 $18.12

35.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$94.9 $94.9

3.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.82 $10.82

36.69%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.53 $5.53

17.90%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.07 $3.07

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.71 $2.71

16.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.82 $6.82

15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.80 $7.80

2.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.15 $1.15

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.94 $3.94

30.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.88 $3.88

55.93%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.71 $4.71

3.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.86 $12.86

49.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.10 $13.10

44.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.67 $18.67

24.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.12 $6.12

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.52 $1.52

26.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.09 $4.09

28.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.26 $4.26

54.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.17 $2.17

66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.77 $2.77

19.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.49 $2.49

11.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.54 $2.54

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.44 $13.44

-9.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.90 $15.90

-6.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.71 $1.71

146.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.18 $3.18

81.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.83 $1.83

44.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 $1.38

24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$23.67 $23.67

25.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$23.0K $23.0K

55.89%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

10.44%

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

$302 $302

$203 $203

49.02%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$67.7 $67.7

3.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$90.5 $90.5

-5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.46 $14.46

23.37%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,933 $1,933

53.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.2K $35.2K

-11.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$52.3 $52.3

46.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$57.3 $57.3

-5.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$91.4 $91.4

40.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$113 $113

44.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,352 $1,352

80.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,260 $1,260

54.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,399 $2,399

97.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,073 $3,073

12.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,215 $2,215

232.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,568 $2,568

99.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,478 $5,478

18.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.72

2.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Laurel, MD: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Laurel, MD

$1.3K 49.7% 35.3% $687

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Laurel, MD

$422 16.6% 22.7% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Laurel, MD

$361 14.2% 21.1% $96

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Laurel, MD

$317 12.5% 20.8% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Laurel, MD

$141 5.6% 25.7% $49

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Laurel, MD

$8.8 * 0.3% 93.2% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Laurel, MD

$29 * 1.1% 74.5% $85

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,352 in Laurel, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 19% 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 $95.0 in Laurel, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $422 per month, with Laurel, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Laurel, MD

🕒 Local time

16:17 4:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

18,540

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Laurel, MD 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Laurel, MD

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 Laurel, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Laurel, MD differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,538 including rent). Laurel, MD is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $1,352 in Laurel, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,538 in Laurel, MD – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,538 in Laurel, MD versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Laurel, MD but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Laurel, MD 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.

Expats usually find Laurel, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.