Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Manchester, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester, NH: $2,963 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Manchester, NH
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Manchester, NH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Manchester, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,963

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Manchester, NH

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 Manchester, NH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,963 in Manchester, NH.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Manchester, NH $2,963

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,232 in Manchester, NH.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Manchester, NH $4,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,501 in Manchester, NH.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Manchester, NH $5,501

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 28% more expensive than in Manchester, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Manchester, NH 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$26.64 $26.64

-5.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.0 $79.0

27.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.06 $11.06

33.45%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.51 $5.51

17.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.39 $2.39

34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.04 $2.04

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.96 $5.96

33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.10 $7.10

14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.90 $2.90

82.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.74 $4.74

35.02%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.54 $4.54

11.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.89 $9.89

89.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.71 $10.71

74.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.53 $19.53

17.15%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.82 $5.82

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.32 $2.32

-15.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.51 $4.51

22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.07 $6.07

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.45 $2.45

42.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.21 $3.21

2.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.15 $2.15

30.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.36 $2.36

9.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.66 $9.66

29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.75 $14.75

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.93 $1.93

117.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.07 $5.07

14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.97 $1.97

54.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$61.0 $61.0

73.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.12 $3.12

-17.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.68 $1.68

-2.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.19 $30.19

-0.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.93 $0.93

51.61%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$33.5K $33.5K

9.70%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

4.56%

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

$308 $308

$230 $230

33.74%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$62.3 $62.3

11.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$69.8 $69.8

23.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$39.74 $39.74

92.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$39.23 $39.23

-9.51%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.35 $11.35

58.77%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,194 $1,194

130.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.0K $23.0K

32.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$44.75 $44.75

76.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$45.66 $45.66

18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$90.4 $90.4

40.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$110 $110

44.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,803 $1,803

39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,543 $1,543

25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,878 $2,878

77.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,348 $2,348

50.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,181 $3,181

131.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,940 $2,940

70.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,254 $4,254

52.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.21

10.95%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Manchester, NH: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Manchester, NH

$1.5K 52.1% 20.4% $395

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Manchester, NH

$410 13.8% 25.1% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Manchester, NH

$362 12.2% 21.8% $101

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Manchester, NH

$374 12.6% 7.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Manchester, NH

$131 4.4% 30.7% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Manchester, NH

$80 2.7% 37.7% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Manchester, NH

$62 2.1% 44.5% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,803 in Manchester, NH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Manchester, NH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $410 per month, with Manchester, NH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Manchester, NH

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

22:15 10:15 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

109,497

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Manchester, NH 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Manchester, NH

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 Manchester, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester, NH is about 22% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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 $1,803 in Manchester, NH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,194 in Manchester, NH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Manchester, NH 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 Manchester, NH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.