Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mankato, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mankato, MN: $2,095 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Mankato, MN
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Mankato, MN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,095

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Mankato, MN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,095 in Mankato, MN.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Mankato, MN $2,095

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,107 in Mankato, MN.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Mankato, MN $3,107

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,119 in Mankato, MN.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Mankato, MN $4,119

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 81% more expensive than in Mankato, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Mankato, MN 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.13 $20.13

25.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$70.2 $70.2

43.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.84 $9.84

50.00%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.04 $5.04

28.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.11 $2.11

52.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.69 $1.69

85.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.12 $5.12

55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.60 $5.60

45.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.90 $2.90

82.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.36 $3.36

90.48%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.39 $3.39

49.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$8.40 $8.40

122.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.37 $16.37

14.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.35 $17.35

31.87%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.99 $7.99

-24.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.24 $2.24

-12.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.39 $6.39

-13.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.85 $3.85

69.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.09 $4.09

-14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.85 $3.85

-14.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.50 $2.50

12.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.04 $2.04

26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.11 $10.11

23.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.95 $14.95

-0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.77 $1.77

136.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.21 $4.21

37.77%

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

$2.02 $2.02

27.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.25 $1.25

31.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$20.14 $20.14

49.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.89 $0.89

58.43%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

39.07%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.24%

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

$308 $308

$185 $185

66.36%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$53.8 $53.8

28.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$79.9 $79.9

7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$40.05 $40.05

90.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$9.82 $9.82

83.50%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,300 $1,300

111.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$11.6K $11.6K

164.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$65.1 $65.1

21.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.99 $35.99

50.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$77.3 $77.3

64.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$74.3 $74.3

113.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,003 $1,003

150.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$868 $868

123.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,205 $2,205

132.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,402 $1,402

152.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,638 $1,638

350.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,636 $1,636

205.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,468 $4,468

44.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mankato, MN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Mankato, MN

$868 41.4% 55.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Mankato, MN

$424 20.2% 22.5% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Mankato, MN

$319 15.2% 31.2% $144

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Mankato, MN

$303 14.5% 25.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Mankato, MN

$114 5.4% 39.7% $75

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Mankato, MN

$8.3 * 0.4% 93.6% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Mankato, MN

$60 2.9% 46.9% $53

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,003 in Mankato, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 45% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $70 in Mankato, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $424 per month, with Mankato, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Mankato, MN

🕒 Local time

16:55 4:55 PM

18:55 6:55 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

39,309

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Mankato, MN 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Mankato, MN

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 Mankato, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,095 in Mankato, MN, so Mankato, MN is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $1,003 in Mankato, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,095 in Mankato, MN – Mankato, MN is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,095 in Mankato, MN versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Mankato, MN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Mankato, MN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Mankato, MN wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.