Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Long Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Long Beach, CA: $3,185 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Long Beach, CA
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Long Beach, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Long Beach, CA $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,857 in Long Beach, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Long Beach, CA $4,857

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,529 in Long Beach, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Long Beach, CA $6,529

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 19% more expensive than in Long Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Long Beach, CA 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.67 $19.67

24.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$78.7 $78.7

24.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.48 $14.48

2.14%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.17 $6.17

5.67%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.27 $3.27

-1.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.48 $2.48

27.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.46 $7.46

5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.70 $9.70

-17.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.05 $1.05

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.13 $4.13

24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.65 $4.65

30.11%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.63 $4.63

5.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.11 $13.11

46.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.28 $14.28

32.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.21 $15.21

53.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.74 $4.74

26.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.67 $1.67

15.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.80 $4.80

9.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.84 $4.84

35.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.46 $3.46

4.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.24 $2.24

47.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.04 $2.04

36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.83 $1.83

37.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.56 $11.56

5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.06 $15.06

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.93 $1.93

118.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.29 $3.29

75.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.76 $1.76

67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$68.9 $68.9

54.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.92 $2.92

-9.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.08 $2.08

-17.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.25 $28.25

5.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.54 $1.54

-3.25%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.5K $28.5K

25.87%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.07%

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

$302 $302

$169 $169

78.93%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$66.3 $66.3

5.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$60.3 $60.3

41.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.49 $39.49

97.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.84 $14.84

20.22%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,912 $1,912

55.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$36.2K $36.2K

-13.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$58.5 $58.5

30.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.11 $40.11

34.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$93.9 $93.9

36.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$142 $142

15.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,057 $2,057

18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,813 $1,813

7.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,672 $3,672

29.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,462 $3,462

0.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$7,440 $7,440

-0.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$6,677 $6,677

-23.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,419 $4,419

47.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.39

7.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Long Beach, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9% 6.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Long Beach, CA

$414 13% 24.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3% 35.4% $162

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1% 11.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7% 20.8% $40

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8% 30.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2% 39.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,057 in Long Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 47% 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 $79.0 in Long Beach, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $414 per month, with Long Beach, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

15:38 3:38 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

469,450

💱 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 Long Beach, CA 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Long Beach, CA

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 Long Beach, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Long Beach, CA differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $3,185 including rent). Long Beach, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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 $2,057 in Long Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Long Beach, CA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,185 in Long Beach, CA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Long Beach, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Long Beach, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.