Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Martha's Vineyard, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Martha's Vineyard, MA: $2,659 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Martha's Vineyard, MA
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Martha's Vineyard, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Martha's Vineyard, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Martha's Vineyard, MA

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 Martha's Vineyard, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,659 in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Martha's Vineyard, MA $2,659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,767 in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Martha's Vineyard, MA $3,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,875 in Martha's Vineyard, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Martha's Vineyard, MA $4,875

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Martha's Vineyard, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Martha's Vineyard, MA 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.94 $19.94

22.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.1 $74.1

32.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.14 $13.14

12.56%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.08 $5.08

28.35%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.53 $2.53

27.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.01 $2.01

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.15 $6.15

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.92 $8.92

-9.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.00 $1.00

21.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.64 $4.64

10.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.32 $4.32

40.05%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$6.19 $6.19

-21.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.55 $10.55

81.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.70 $10.70

76.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.79 $18.79

24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.39 $5.39

11.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 $1.59

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.23 $3.23

62.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.13 $3.13

109.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.26 $2.26

60.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.50 $2.50

32.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.63 $2.63

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.95 $2.95

-14.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.21 $12.21

-0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$16.88 $16.88

-12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.83 $1.83

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.73 $2.73

111.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.76 $1.76

67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.84 $5.84

-54.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.81 $1.81

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.79 $26.79

10.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.03 $1.03

44.66%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.4K $27.4K

31.03%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.84%

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

$302 $302

$179 $179

68.76%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$37.01 $37.01

89.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$59.7 $59.7

42.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.77 $41.77

86.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.41 $12.41

43.76%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,165 $2,165

37.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.6K $24.6K

27.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$38.80 $38.80

97.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$16.38 $16.38

229.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$102 $102

25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$108 $108

52.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,615 $1,615

51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,438 $1,438

35.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,550 $2,550

86.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,149 $2,149

61.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,748 $2,748

168.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,266 $2,266

126.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Martha's Vineyard, MA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$1.4K 54.1% 26.1% $508

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$411 15.5% 24.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$276 10.4% 39.7% $182

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$327 12.3% 18.3% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$119 4.5% 37.4% $71

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$22 * 0.8% 83% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Martha's Vineyard, MA

$67 2.5% 41.3% $47

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 $1,615 in Martha's Vineyard, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $74.0 in Martha's Vineyard, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $411 per month, with Martha's Vineyard, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Martha's Vineyard, MA

🕒 Local time

01:24 1:24 AM

04:24 4:24 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,510

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Martha's Vineyard, MA 4,080 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Martha's Vineyard, MA

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 Martha's Vineyard, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Martha's Vineyard, MA wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Martha's Vineyard, MA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,989 in Martha's Vineyard, MA 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 $1,615 in Martha's Vineyard, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $2,165 in Martha's Vineyard, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Martha's Vineyard, MA – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Martha's Vineyard, MA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Martha's Vineyard, MA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,659 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Martha's Vineyard, MA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Martha's Vineyard, MA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Martha's Vineyard, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.