Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Los Gatos, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
234

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,912

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Los Gatos, CA $4,912

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $7,194 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Los Gatos, CA $7,194

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $9,475 in Los Gatos, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Los Gatos, CA $9,475

Seattle, WA is about 23% cheaper than Los Gatos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Seattle, WA and Los Gatos, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Los Gatos, CA by 261%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.58 $24.58

2.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$99.7 $99.7

1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.78 $14.78

-0.14%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.19 $6.19

5.01%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.94 $2.94

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.54 $2.54

23.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.06 $8.06

-1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.02 $8.02

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.26 $1.26

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.29 $4.29

23.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.86 $4.86

31.69%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$6.34 $6.34

-20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$24.16 $24.16

-22.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.54 $11.54

62.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$13.02 $13.02

75.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.63 $5.63

7.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.16 $3.16

-38.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.81 $4.81

14.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.92 $5.92

10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.29 $3.29

6.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.99 $3.99

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.98 $2.98

-6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.71 $2.71

-4.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.74 $11.74

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.92 $12.92

15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.16 $2.16

93.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.52 $2.52

130.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.08 $4.08

-36.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$5.11 $5.11

-67.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.58 $1.58

-10.76%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.39%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.18%

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

$308 $308

$379 $379

-18.76%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$59.1 $59.1

17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$63.3 $63.3

35.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$145 $145

-47.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.91 $16.91

6.56%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,133 $2,133

28.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.0K $24.0K

27.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.4 $52.4

51.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.75 $40.75

33.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$75.2 $75.2

68.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$58.8 $58.8

170.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,470 $3,470

-27.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$3,237 $3,237

-40.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$5,893 $5,893

-39.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,480 $3,480

111.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.69

2.99%

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 Gatos, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Los Gatos, CA

$3.2K 65.9% 67% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Los Gatos, CA

$470 9.6% 14.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Los Gatos, CA

$501 10.2% 8.3% $38

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Los Gatos, CA

$394 8% 3.1% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1% 45.8% $86

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Los Gatos, CA

$30 * 0.6% 77% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Los Gatos, CA

$179 3.7% 59.2% $67

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $3,470 in Los Gatos, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $100 in Los Gatos, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $470 – making Los Gatos, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

30,222

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Los Gatos, CA 1,150 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Los Gatos, CA costs about 30% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $7,369 in Los Gatos, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $3,470 in Los Gatos, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA. That makes Seattle, WA about 23% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Los Gatos, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,785 in Seattle, WA to $4,912 in Los Gatos, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.