Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lawrence, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Lawrence, KS: $2,242 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 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
107

Cost of Living Index in Lawrence, KS
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Lawrence, KS Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Lawrence, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,242

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,242 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Lawrence, KS $2,242

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,313 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Lawrence, KS $3,313

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,383 in Lawrence, KS, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Lawrence, KS $4,383

Seattle, WA costs about 67% more than Lawrence, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Lawrence, KS sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Lawrence, KS by 67%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$15.03 $15.03

63.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$75.6 $75.6

31.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.97 $10.97

39.47%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.08 $5.08

30.31%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.50 $2.50

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.82 $1.82

70.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.88 $5.88

32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.37 $7.37

7.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.83 $0.83

45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.13 $3.13

57.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.31 $4.31

43.16%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.91 $3.91

26.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$11.06 $11.06

71.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$12.67 $12.67

47.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$16.68 $16.68

38.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.41 $5.41

9.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.11 $2.11

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.92 $4.92

5.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.13 $4.13

58.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.80 $1.80

101.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.96 $2.96

6.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.69 $1.69

72.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.82 $2.82

-15.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$7.06 $7.06

75.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.16 $14.16

6.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.75 $1.75

145.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$1.66 $1.66

242.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.96 $2.96

-10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.36 $1.36

27.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$25.50 $25.50

17.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.94 $0.94

55.32%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$22.6K $22.6K

62.36%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.1K $24.1K

6.68%

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

$299 $299

$279 $279

7.50%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$63.7 $63.7

9.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$64.5 $64.5

39.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$44.86 $44.86

78.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$12.06 $12.06

195.36%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.24 $12.24

41.58%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$992 $992

200.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$19.4K $19.4K

61.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$51.8 $51.8

49.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$39.24 $39.24

39.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$79.4 $79.4

58.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$102 $102

61.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,191 $1,191

102.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$907 $907

116.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,944 $1,944

146.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,665 $1,665

113.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,365 $2,365

214.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,112 $2,112

137.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,805 $3,805

65.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lawrence, KS: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Lawrence, KS

$907 41.6% 53.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Lawrence, KS

$391 17.9% 27.7% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Lawrence, KS

$407 18.6% 11.4% $53

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Lawrence, KS

$275 12.6% 31.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Lawrence, KS

$123 5.6% 35.7% $68

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Lawrence, KS

$9.7 * 0.5% 92.6% $122

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Lawrence, KS

$69 3.2% 39.5% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,191 in Lawrence, KS. 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 65% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $391 – making Lawrence, KS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lawrence, KS

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

95,358

💱 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 Lawrence, KS 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Lawrence, KS

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 Lawrence, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 67% more than Lawrence, KS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,363 in Lawrence, KS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lawrence, KS, 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA and $76.0 in Lawrence, KS. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lawrence, KS, where all-in costs run around $2,242, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In Lawrence, KS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lawrence, KS costs $2,242 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Lawrence, KS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.