Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Manchester, TN: $2,613 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Manchester, TN
Learn more

Manchester, TN Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Manchester, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,613 in Manchester, TN.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Manchester, TN $2,613

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,337 in Manchester, TN.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Manchester, TN $3,337

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,060 in Manchester, TN.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Manchester, TN $4,060

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 45% more expensive than in Manchester, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Manchester, TN 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.17 $14.17

73.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$52.1 $52.1

88.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.08 $10.08

46.73%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.73 $4.73

37.84%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.51 $2.51

28.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.10 $2.10

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.70 $5.70

37.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.33 $5.33

50.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.87 $0.87

39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.02 $4.02

27.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.45 $4.45

35.96%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.98 $2.98

63.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.50 $11.50

66.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.06 $9.06

108.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.45 $16.45

41.70%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.37 $4.37

37.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.11 $2.11

-8.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.01 $4.01

30.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.46 $4.46

47.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.70 $3.70

-2.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.71 $3.71

-10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.37 $2.37

17.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.82 $2.82

-10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.12 $7.12

71.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.14 $15.14

-2.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.75 $1.75

141.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.05 $3.05

89.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.78 $1.78

65.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.98 $2.98

-11.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.44 $2.44

-29.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$40.25 $40.25

-26.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.89 $0.89

67.42%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$32.4K $32.4K

10.68%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.71%

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

$302 $302

$254 $254

18.65%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$54.7 $54.7

28.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$90.4 $90.4

-5.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.28 $41.28

88.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$16.72 $16.72

6.70%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,294 $1,294

129.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$15.6K $15.6K

100.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$77.8 $77.8

-1.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.66 $44.66

21.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$137 $137

19.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,050 $1,050

132.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,296 $1,296

50.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,099 $2,099

126.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,367 $1,367

153.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,073 $3,073

139.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,066 $2,066

148.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.84

0.73%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Manchester, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Manchester, TN

$1.3K 49.6% 33.4% $650

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Manchester, TN

$387 14.8% 29% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Manchester, TN

$399 15.3% 12.6% $58

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Manchester, TN

$258 9.9% 35.5% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Manchester, TN

$174 6.7% 8.3% $16

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Manchester, TN

$22 * 0.9% 82.8% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Manchester, TN

$75 2.9% 34.2% $39

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 $1,050 in Manchester, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $52.0 in Manchester, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $387 per month, with Manchester, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Manchester, TN

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

109,497

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Manchester, TN 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Manchester, TN

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, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manchester, TN is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,919 in Manchester, TN to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,050 in Manchester, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $2,613 in Manchester, TN – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,613 in Manchester, TN versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Manchester, TN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Manchester, TN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Manchester, TN is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Manchester, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.