Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Media, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Media, PA: $2,945 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Media, PA
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Media, PA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Media, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,945

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Media, PA

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,945 in Media, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Media, PA $2,945

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,031 in Media, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Media, PA $4,031

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,117 in Media, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Media, PA $5,117

Seattle, WA costs about 28% more than Media, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Media, PA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Media, PA by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$21.68 $21.68

13.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$80.3 $80.3

22.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.20 $12.20

21.23%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.39 $5.39

20.96%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.07 $3.07

5.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.27 $2.27

39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.04 $6.04

29.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.14 $8.14

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.14 $1.14

6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.00 $4.00

28.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.15 $4.15

45.78%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.87 $4.87

0.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.07 $12.07

58.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.61 $12.61

49.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.72 $17.72

31.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.12 $6.12

-2.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.57 $1.57

22.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.67 $5.67

-7.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.99 $4.99

31.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.73 $2.73

32.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.11 $3.11

6.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.45 $2.45

13.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.26 $2.26

11.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.91 $11.91

2.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.96 $14.96

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.63 $2.63

60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.86 $3.86

49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.81 $1.81

46.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.41 $1.41

21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.03 $24.03

23.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 $1.05

41.90%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.5K $31.5K

13.95%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.59%

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

$302 $302

$215 $215

40.62%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$62.2 $62.2

12.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$65.2 $65.2

30.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.82 $41.82

86.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.56 $14.56

22.53%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,918 $1,918

54.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$35.1K $35.1K

-10.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$48.83 $48.83

56.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.08 $48.08

12.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$91.9 $91.9

39.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$112 $112

46.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,767 $1,767

38.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,607 $1,607

21.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,564 $2,564

85.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,152 $2,152

61.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,635 $2,635

179.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,694 $2,694

90.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,992 $4,992

30.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Media, PA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Media, PA

$1.6K 54.6% 17.4% $339

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Media, PA

$430 14.6% 21.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Media, PA

$342 11.6% 25.2% $115

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Media, PA

$343 11.6% 14.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Media, PA

$135 4.6% 28.9% $55

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Media, PA

$17 * 0.6% 87.1% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Media, PA

$71 2.4% 37.5% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,767 in Media, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 30% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $80.0 in Media, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $430 – making Media, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Media, PA

🕒 Local time

15:06 3:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

5,700

💱 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 Media, PA 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Media, PA

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 Media, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,945 in Media, PA – roughly 28% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,417 in Media, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Media, PA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $80.0 in Media, PA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,945 in Media, PA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,945 in Media, PA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Media, PA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.