Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Banos, CA: $2,394 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
116

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Los Banos, CA $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,580 in Los Banos, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Los Banos, CA $3,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,767 in Los Banos, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Los Banos, CA $4,767

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 58% more expensive than in Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Los Banos, CA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.86 $14.86

65.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$101 $101

-2.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.83 $9.83

50.46%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.11 $5.11

27.59%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.53 $2.53

27.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.04 $2.04

55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.94 $7.94

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.24 $8.24

-2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.03 $1.03

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.21 $3.21

60.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.95 $2.95

105.08%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$1.58 $1.58

208.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$8.69 $8.69

120.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.73 $7.73

144.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$12.80 $12.80

82.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.39 $3.39

76.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.35 $1.35

42.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.79 $2.79

88.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.83 $2.83

132.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.92 $2.92

23.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.44 $2.44

35.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.30 $2.30

20.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.10 $11.10

9.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.10 $14.10

5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.87 $1.87

125.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.31 $1.31

340.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.04 $2.04

44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.71 $2.71

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.56 $1.56

10.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.88 $32.88

-9.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.45 $1.45

2.76%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.4K $30.4K

18.11%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

-2.79%

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

$302 $302

$217 $217

38.89%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$44.68 $44.68

56.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$88.7 $88.7

-3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.09 $39.09

99.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.86 $14.86

20.05%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,509 $2,509

18.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$29.5K $29.5K

6.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$23.82 $23.82

221.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$21.67 $21.67

149.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$52.3 $52.3

145.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$59.4 $59.4

176.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,618 $1,618

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,294 $1,294

50.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,682 $2,682

76.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,280 $2,280

52.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,713 $2,713

171.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,408 $2,408

112.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,598 $6,598

-1.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.47

6.49%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Los Banos, 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%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1% 33.5% $653

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8% 43.8% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7% 23.3% $107

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9% 28.9% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Los Banos, CA

$71 3% 62.8% $120

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8% 85.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9% 39.4% $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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $101 in Los Banos, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $546 vs $307, with Los Banos, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

35,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Los Banos, CA 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Los Banos, 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 Los Banos, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Banos, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Los Banos, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Los Banos, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Los Banos, CA 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 Los Banos, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,394 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Los Banos, CA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Los Banos, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.