Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Medford, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Medford, OR: $2,476 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Medford, OR
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Medford, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Medford, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Medford, OR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,476 in Medford, OR.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Medford, OR $2,476

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,565 in Medford, OR.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Medford, OR $3,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,653 in Medford, OR.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Medford, OR $4,653

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 53% more expensive than in Medford, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Medford, OR 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.96 $19.96

26.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.8 $62.8

60.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.41 $10.41

41.79%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.73 $4.73

37.42%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.44 $2.44

31.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.50 $1.50

109.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.92 $5.92

34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.29 $6.29

29.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.18 $3.18

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.27 $8.27

-22.61%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.19 $4.19

20.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$21.31 $21.31

-12.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.17 $10.17

84.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.30 $15.30

49.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.13 $4.13

46.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.58 $1.58

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.30 $5.30

3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.11 $5.11

27.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.85 $2.85

22.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.90 $2.90

13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.65 $2.65

5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.18 $3.18

-18.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.08 $11.08

12.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.38 $13.38

11.14%

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

$3.40 $3.40

70.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$47.17 $47.17

124.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.43 $2.43

-32.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$44.52 $44.52

-32.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.22 $1.22

15.57%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.4K $28.4K

29.67%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.8K $23.8K

11.92%

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

$308 $308

$203 $203

51.91%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$70.2 $70.2

-1.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$77.6 $77.6

10.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$17.33 $17.33

341.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.60 $11.60

55.34%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,022 $1,022

168.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$8,159 $8,159

274.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$57.9 $57.9

36.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$38.84 $38.84

39.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$107 $107

17.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$113 $113

41.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,258 $1,258

99.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,131 $1,131

71.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,944 $1,944

163.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,768 $1,768

100.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,305 $3,305

123.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,784 $2,784

79.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,592 $3,592

80.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.54

5.35%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medford, OR: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Medford, OR

$1.1K 45.7% 41.7% $807

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Medford, OR

$436 17.6% 20.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Medford, OR

$350 14.2% 24.3% $113

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Medford, OR

$306 12.3% 24.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Medford, OR

$143 5.8% 24.4% $46

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Medford, OR

$70 2.8% 45.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Medford, OR

$41 1.6% 64% $72

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,258 in Medford, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $63 in Medford, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $436 per month, with Medford, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Medford, OR

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

56,173

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Medford, OR 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Medford, OR

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 Medford, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medford, OR wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Medford, OR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 80% 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 $1,258 in Medford, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medford, OR – a meal for two runs $63 versus $101 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. Medford, OR 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 Medford, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.