Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Melbourne, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Melbourne, FL: $3,243 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, FL
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Melbourne, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Melbourne, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,243

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Melbourne, FL

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 Melbourne, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,243 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Melbourne, FL $3,243

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,369 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Melbourne, FL $4,369

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,495 in Melbourne, FL, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Melbourne, FL $5,495

Seattle, WA costs about 15% more than Melbourne, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Melbourne, FL sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Melbourne, FL by 142%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$25.52 $25.52

-3.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$74.3 $74.3

33.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.06 $10.06

52.09%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.09 $5.09

30.06%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$3.01 $3.01

7.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.99 $1.99

56.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.28 $5.28

47.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.38 $7.38

7.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.81 $0.81

49.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.28 $4.28

15.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.09 $3.09

99.68%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$5.59 $5.59

-11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$13.34 $13.34

42.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.11 $11.11

68.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$14.61 $14.61

58.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.55 $4.55

30.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.57 $1.57

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.46 $4.46

16.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$5.32 $5.32

23.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.89 $2.89

25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.31 $3.31

-4.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.26 $2.26

28.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.71 $2.71

-12.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$9.55 $9.55

29.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.72 $15.72

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.08 $2.08

106.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.28 $3.28

73.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.72 $3.72

-18.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$41.71 $41.71

160.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$9.94 $9.94

-73.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.83 $1.83

-4.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.04 $1.04

40.38%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$37.2K $37.2K

-1.22%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

-1.53%

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

$299 $299

$168 $168

77.91%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$59.0 $59.0

18.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$76.5 $76.5

17.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$41.58 $41.58

92.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$2.79 $2.79

1176.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.92 $12.92

34.13%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$888 $888

236.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

49.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$73.3 $73.3

5.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$58.0 $58.0

-5.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$116 $116

8.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$104 $104

59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,032 $2,032

18.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,840 $1,840

6.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,799 $2,799

71.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,486 $2,486

43.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,445 $2,445

203.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,499 $2,499

100.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,682 $3,682

70.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.86

-0.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, FL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Melbourne, FL

$1.8K 57.4% 6.3% $123

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Melbourne, FL

$407 12.7% 24.8% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Melbourne, FL

$304 9.5% 33.9% $155

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Melbourne, FL

$357 11.1% 11.3% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Melbourne, FL

$158 4.9% 17.2% $33

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Melbourne, FL

$76 2.4% 42.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Melbourne, FL

$67 2.1% 41.2% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $2,032 in Melbourne, FL. 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 71% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $74.0 in Melbourne, FL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $407 – making Melbourne, FL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Melbourne, FL

🕒 Local time

11:55 11:55 AM

14:55 2:55 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Melbourne, FL 4,190 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Melbourne, FL

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 Melbourne, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 15%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,865 in Melbourne, FL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $3,243 in Melbourne, FL. That's a gap of about 15%.

Public transport costs about 160% less in Melbourne, FL. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $3,243 in Melbourne, FL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Melbourne, FL – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Melbourne, FL. 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.