Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR

For one person, living is cheaper in Little Rock, AR: $2,137 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,744
/mo nomad
Little Rock, AR
🇺🇸 United States
$2,137
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,137 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $3,744
  • Little Rock, AR $2,137

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,103 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $5,703
  • Little Rock, AR $3,103

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,069 in Little Rock, AR, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $7,661
  • Little Rock, AR $4,069

Seattle, WA costs about 75% more than Little Rock, AR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Little Rock, AR by 59%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.56 $24.56
$17.18 $17.18
42.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 $99.5
$73.9 $73.9
34.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.30 $15.30
$10.84 $10.84
41.14%
Cappuccino
$6.62 $6.62
$5.15 $5.15
28.54%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.94 $2.94
10.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$2.43 $2.43
27.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.77 $7.77
$5.54 $5.54
40.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.93 $7.93
$6.41 $6.41
23.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.10 $1.10
10.00%
White Bread (500g)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.69 $2.69
83.64%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.17 $6.17
$2.82 $2.82
118.79%
Eggs
$4.96 $4.96
$3.39 $3.39
46.31%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.00 $19.00
$10.15 $10.15
87.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.69 $18.69
$11.70 $11.70
59.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.14 $23.14
$22.86 $22.86
1.22%
Apples (1kg)
$5.93 $5.93
$5.03 $5.03
17.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.47 $1.47
31.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$4.42 $4.42
17.42%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.55 $6.55
$3.77 $3.77
73.74%
Potato (1kg)
$3.62 $3.62
$2.72 $2.72
33.09%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.57 $2.57
22.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.94 $1.94
50.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.93 $1.93
23.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.36 $12.36
$9.74 $9.74
26.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.02 $15.02
$13.47 $13.47
11.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.30 $4.30
$1.77 $1.77
142.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 $5.69
$1.70 $1.70
234.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.36 $1.36
124.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 $109
$35.95 $35.95
202.06%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.54 $2.54
3.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.74 $1.74
$1.48 $1.48
17.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.02 $30.02
$24.22 $24.22
23.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 $1.46
$0.90 $0.90
62.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.7K $36.7K
$37.4K $37.4K
-1.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$26.2K $26.2K
-1.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 $299
$218 $218
37.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.7 $69.7
$59.9 $59.9
16.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.1 $90.1
$68.3 $68.3
32.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.0 $80.0
$29.12 $29.12
174.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.62 $35.62
$13.94 $13.94
155.52%
Cinema Ticket
$17.33 $17.33
$12.76 $12.76
35.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,986 $2,986
$1,014 $1,014
194.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K $31.3K
$18.9K $18.9K
66.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.7 $77.7
$50.8 $50.8
53.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.9 $54.9
$39.52 $39.52
38.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 $126
$83.8 $83.8
50.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 $165
$147 $147
12.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$1,132 $1,132
112.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 $1,963
$874 $874
124.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,788 $4,788
$1,577 $1,577
203.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,561 $3,561
$1,282 $1,282
177.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,430 $7,430
$1,870 $1,870
297.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 $5,010
$1,335 $1,335
275.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Little Rock, AR
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,280 $6,280
$3,805 $3,805
65.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
6.75
1.48%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Little Rock, AR: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$2K
Little Rock, AR
$874 55.5% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$541
Little Rock, AR
$374 30.8% $167
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$459
Little Rock, AR
$346 24.7% $113
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$402
Little Rock, AR
$294 26.9% $108
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$191
Little Rock, AR
$145 24.2% $46
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$132
Little Rock, AR
$51 61.1% $81
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$115
Little Rock, AR
$55 52.3% $60

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,132 in Little Rock, AR. 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 $74.0 in Little Rock, AR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $374 – making Little Rock, AR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 Little Rock, AR
🕒 Local time
04:45 4:45 AM
06:45 6:45 AM
2 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
202,591
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Little Rock, AR 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Little Rock, AR

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 Little Rock, AR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Seattle, WA and in Little Rock, AR compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,137 in Little Rock, AR – roughly 75% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Seattle, WA compared to Little Rock, AR?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,205 in Little Rock, AR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Little Rock, AR, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR?
Kindergarten costs $2,986 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,014 in Little Rock, AR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 45% 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.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Little Rock, AR, where all-in costs run around $2,137, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In Little Rock, AR it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR?
It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,137 in Little Rock, AR to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Seattle, WA and Little Rock, AR?
If budget matters most, go with Little Rock, AR. 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.

Seattle, WA vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?