Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Manassas, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Manassas, VA: $3,027 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Manassas, VA
Learn more

Manassas, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Manassas, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,027

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Manassas, VA

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 Manassas, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,027 in Manassas, VA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Manassas, VA $3,027

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,411 in Manassas, VA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Manassas, VA $4,411

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,795 in Manassas, VA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Manassas, VA $5,795

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Manassas, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Manassas, VA 122% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.16 $25.16

0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$88.2 $88.2

14.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.11 $12.11

21.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.62 $6.62

-1.81%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.50 $2.50

28.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.28 $2.28

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.40 $6.40

24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.44 $8.44

-3.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.94 $3.94

34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.02 $7.02

-8.83%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.61 $4.61

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.63 $10.63

76.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.48 $14.48

29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.53 $20.53

11.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.75 $7.75

-21.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.24 $2.24

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$8.07 $8.07

-31.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.90 $6.90

-5.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.56 $5.56

-37.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.97 $3.97

-17.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.20 $2.20

27.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.18 $2.18

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.76 $9.76

27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.12 $14.12

5.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.12 $2.12

97.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.86 $3.86

50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.09 $5.09

-40.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$102 $102

3.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.49 $1.49

10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$20.33 $20.33

48.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.03 $1.03

36.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.6K $29.6K

24.12%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

3.44%

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

$308 $308

$213 $213

44.33%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.6 $52.6

31.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$60.1 $60.1

43.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$43.93 $43.93

74.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.38 $20.38

74.19%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$18.26 $18.26

-1.31%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,921 $1,921

42.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$11.8K $11.8K

159.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$48.04 $48.04

64.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.88 $47.88

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

24.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$107 $107

48.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,840 $1,840

36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,479 $1,479

31.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,869 $2,869

78.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,298 $2,298

54.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,723 $2,723

170.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,512 $2,512

99.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,892 $4,892

32.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manassas, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Manassas, VA

$1.5K 48.9% 23.7% $460

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Manassas, VA

$487 16.1% 10.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Manassas, VA

$326 10.8% 29.6% $137

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Manassas, VA

$385 12.7% 5.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Manassas, VA

$137 4.5% 27.3% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Manassas, VA

$133 4.4% 3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Manassas, VA

$80 2.7% 28.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,840 in Manassas, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 32% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $88 in Manassas, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $487 per month, with Manassas, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Manassas, VA

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

05:41 5:41 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

42,772

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Manassas, VA 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Manassas, VA

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 Manassas, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manassas, VA wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manassas, VA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,840 in Manassas, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Manassas, VA runs roughly 4% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,921 in Manassas, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Manassas, VA 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 Manassas, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.