Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and McKinney, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in McKinney, TX: $2,798 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 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
133

Cost of Living Index in McKinney, TX
Learn more

McKinney, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

McKinney, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,798

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in McKinney, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,798 in McKinney, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
McKinney, TX $2,798

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,731 in McKinney, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
McKinney, TX $3,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,663 in McKinney, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
McKinney, TX $4,663

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 35% more expensive than in McKinney, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, McKinney, TX 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.76 $18.76

34.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.8 $60.8

66.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.03 $11.03

33.82%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.96 $4.96

31.05%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.57 $2.57

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.86 $1.86

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.10 $6.10

30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.54 $7.54

7.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.78 $2.78

90.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.20 $2.20

190.91%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.03 $4.03

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.09 $10.09

85.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.69 $15.69

19.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.90 $16.90

35.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.18 $3.18

90.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.90 $2.90

-32.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.96 $2.96

86.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.56 $2.56

154.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.18 $2.18

60.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.09 $2.09

57.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.79 $1.79

56.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.02 $10.02

24.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.45 $11.45

29.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.72 $3.72

55.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.04 $3.04

0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$190 $190

-44.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.07 $15.07

99.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.88 $0.88

60.23%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

36.87%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.83%

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

$308 $308

$205 $205

50.37%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$58.2 $58.2

18.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$68.2 $68.2

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$29.56 $29.56

158.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$12.81 $12.81

177.13%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.96 $11.96

50.67%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,174 $1,174

133.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$56.3 $56.3

40.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$28.56 $28.56

90.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.1 $86.1

47.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$59.3 $59.3

167.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,675 $1,675

49.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,426 $1,426

35.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,638 $2,638

93.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,727 $1,727

105.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,318 $2,318

218.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,284 $2,284

118.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,808 $5,808

11.39%

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 26, 2026

Last update for McKinney, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

McKinney, TX

$1.4K 51% 26.4% $512

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

McKinney, TX

$372 13.3% 31.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

McKinney, TX

$331 11.8% 28.5% $132

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

McKinney, TX

$306 10.9% 24.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

McKinney, TX

$104 3.7% 45.1% $85

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

McKinney, TX

$206 * 7.4% 59.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

McKinney, TX

$53 1.9% 52.4% $59

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 $1,675 in McKinney, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 11% 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 $61 in McKinney, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $372 per month, with McKinney, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 McKinney, TX

🕒 Local time

05:15 5:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

202,690

💱 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 McKinney, TX 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
McKinney, TX

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 McKinney, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,798 in McKinney, TX, so McKinney, TX is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $1,675 in McKinney, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,798 in McKinney, TX – McKinney, TX is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 44% less than in McKinney, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 – McKinney, TX wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.