Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lexington, KY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, KY: $2,173 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, KY
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Lexington, KY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Lexington, KY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lexington, KY

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 Lexington, KY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Lexington, KY $2,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,265 in Lexington, KY.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Lexington, KY $3,265

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,356 in Lexington, KY.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Lexington, KY $4,356

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 72% more expensive than in Lexington, KY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Lexington, KY 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$13.14 $13.14

86.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$57.5 $57.5

73.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$9.14 $9.14

67.40%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.13 $5.13

29.04%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.53 $2.53

28.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.06 $2.06

50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.99 $4.99

55.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.97 $5.97

32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.78 $0.78

55.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.88 $2.88

71.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.98 $3.98

55.03%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.68 $3.68

34.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.19 $10.19

86.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$10.17 $10.17

83.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$14.52 $14.52

59.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$5.49 $5.49

8.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.52 $1.52

27.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.49 $5.49

-5.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.41 $4.41

48.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.14 $4.14

-12.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.07 $3.07

2.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.08 $2.08

39.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.18 $3.18

-25.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$8.44 $8.44

46.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$13.02 $13.02

15.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.69 $2.69

59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$4.31 $4.31

32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.02 $1.02

199.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$29.70 $29.70

265.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.92 $4.92

-46.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.00 $1.00

46.00%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$37.0K $37.0K

-0.77%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.2K $25.2K

1.71%

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

$299 $299

$188 $188

59.14%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$106 $106

-34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$74.6 $74.6

20.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$39.07 $39.07

104.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$30.41 $30.41

17.13%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$15.25 $15.25

13.64%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$2,222 $2,222

34.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.9K $24.9K

25.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$51.3 $51.3

51.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$31.32 $31.32

75.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$117 $117

7.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$151 $151

9.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,147 $1,147

109.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$929 $929

111.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,058 $2,058

132.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,589 $1,589

124.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,118 $2,118

250.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,077 $2,077

141.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,029 $4,029

55.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.82

0.44%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Lexington, KY: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Lexington, KY

$929 42.3% 52.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Lexington, KY

$386 17.5% 28.7% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Lexington, KY

$369 16.8% 19.7% $90

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Lexington, KY

$249 11.3% 38% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Lexington, KY

$158 7.2% 17.1% $33

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Lexington, KY

$39 * 1.8% 70.7% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Lexington, KY

$70 3.2% 39.3% $45

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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 56% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $57.0 in Lexington, KY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $386 per month, with Lexington, KY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lexington, KY

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

322,570

💱 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 Lexington, KY 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Lexington, KY

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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 Lexington, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lexington, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lexington, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,147 in Lexington, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lexington, KY – a meal for two runs $57.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,173 in Lexington, KY – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,173 in Lexington, KY versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lexington, KY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Lexington, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lexington, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,173 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lexington, KY hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Lexington, KY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lexington, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.