Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Los Angeles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Angeles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
195

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Los Angeles, 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 Los Angeles, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Los Angeles, CA $4,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,104 in Los Angeles, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Los Angeles, CA $6,104

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,148 in Los Angeles, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Los Angeles, CA $8,148

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 7% less than in Los Angeles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Los Angeles, CA 198% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$27.02 $27.02

-6.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$121 $121

-16.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.21 $15.21

-2.96%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.78 $5.78

12.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.79 $3.79

-15.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.69 $2.69

16.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.76 $7.76

2.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.98 $9.98

-18.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.29 $1.29

-9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.68 $4.68

13.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.58 $4.58

39.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.35 $5.35

-5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.27 $11.27

66.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.16 $16.16

15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.42 $19.42

17.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.24 $5.24

15.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.33 $2.33

-16.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.62 $4.62

19.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.56 $5.56

17.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.38 $3.38

3.25%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.93 $2.93

12.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.99 $11.99

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.05 $15.05

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.94 $2.94

42.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.71 $2.71

114.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.72 $1.72

77.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$105 $105

1.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.87 $1.87

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.19 $32.19

-6.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.57 $1.57

-10.19%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.5K $34.5K

6.70%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.34%

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

$308 $308

$280 $280

9.76%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$78.4 $78.4

-11.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$79.1 $79.1

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$71.2 $71.2

7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$12.21 $12.21

190.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$18.32 $18.32

-1.64%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,722 $1,722

59.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.7K $31.7K

-3.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$91.6 $91.6

-13.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$65.7 $65.7

-17.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$117 $117

8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$210 $210

-24.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,547 $2,547

-1.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,295 $2,295

-15.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,372 $5,372

-4.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,158 $4,158

-14.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$7,171 $7,171

2.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$6,923 $6,923

-27.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,204 $4,204

53.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.86

0.44%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$2.3K 56.5% 18.4% $356

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Los Angeles, CA

$462 11.4% 15.6% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.8% 5.4% $25

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Los Angeles, CA

$416 10.2% 2.4% $9.6

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Los Angeles, CA

$218 5.4% 15.6% $29

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3.1% 3.9% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Los Angeles, CA

$108 2.7% 4.1% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $121 in Los Angeles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $462, with Los Angeles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🕒 Local time

00:05 12:05 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

4,030,904

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Los Angeles, CA 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Los Angeles, CA

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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 Los Angeles, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in clothing. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,547 in Los Angeles, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Los Angeles, CA pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,060 in Los Angeles, CA – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Seattle, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,785 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seattle, WA hard to pass up.