Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Minneapolis, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Minneapolis, MN: $2,685 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Minneapolis, MN
Learn more

Minneapolis, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,685

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Minneapolis, MN

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 Minneapolis, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,685 in Minneapolis, MN.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Minneapolis, MN $2,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,999 in Minneapolis, MN.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Minneapolis, MN $3,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,313 in Minneapolis, MN.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Minneapolis, MN $5,313

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 41% more expensive than in Minneapolis, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Minneapolis, MN 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$21.82 $21.82

15.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$82.7 $82.7

22.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.85 $11.85

24.56%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.47 $6.47

0.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.20 $3.20

0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.27 $2.27

38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.14 $7.14

11.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.93 $7.93

2.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.91 $0.91

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.63 $3.63

46.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.70 $6.70

-4.48%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.64 $3.64

39.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.40 $10.40

79.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.68 $13.68

36.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.43 $19.43

17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.68 $5.68

6.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.81 $1.81

7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.59 $6.59

-16.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.24 $5.24

24.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.45 $4.45

-21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.10 $4.10

-19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.28 $2.28

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.66 $2.66

-3.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.85 $12.85

-2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.86 $15.86

-6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.89 $2.89

44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.70 $5.70

1.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.96 $1.96

55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$65.6 $65.6

61.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.15 $5.15

-49.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.70 $1.70

-3.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.58 $23.58

27.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.03 $1.03

36.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

20.56%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.71%

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

$308 $308

$178 $178

73.03%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$55.9 $55.9

23.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.9 $70.9

21.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$56.4 $56.4

35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$27.57 $27.57

28.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.74 $15.74

14.49%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,358 $1,358

102.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.2K $36.2K

-15.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$57.1 $57.1

38.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.49 $44.49

22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$98.0 $98.0

29.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$105 $105

51.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,808 $1,808

38.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,251 $1,251

55.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,099 $3,099

65.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,085 $2,085

69.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,129 $3,129

135.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,129 $2,129

134.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,552 $4,552

42.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.66

3.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Minneapolis, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Minneapolis, MN

$1.3K 46.6% 35.5% $688

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Minneapolis, MN

$457 17% 16.5% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Minneapolis, MN

$305 11.3% 34.2% $158

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$361 13.5% 11.1% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Minneapolis, MN

$137 5.1% 27.3% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Minneapolis, MN

$87 3.2% 32.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Minneapolis, MN

$88 3.3% 21.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,808 in Minneapolis, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $83 in Minneapolis, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $457 per month, with Minneapolis, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN

🕒 Local time

15:31 3:31 PM

17:31 5:31 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

429,954

💱 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 Minneapolis, MN 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Minneapolis, MN

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 Minneapolis, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Minneapolis, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Minneapolis, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% 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 $1,808 in Minneapolis, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,358 in Minneapolis, MN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Minneapolis, MN 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 Minneapolis, MN delivers better value at $2,685 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Minneapolis, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Minneapolis, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.