Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Minot, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Minot, ND: $1,970 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 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
94

Cost of Living Index in Minot, ND
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Minot, ND Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Minot, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$1,970

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Minot, ND

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 Minot, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,970 in Minot, ND, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Minot, ND $1,970

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,019 in Minot, ND, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Minot, ND $3,019

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,068 in Minot, ND, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Minot, ND $4,068

Seattle, WA costs about 92% more than Minot, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Minot, ND sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Minot, ND by 45%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$16.04 $16.04

57.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$75.2 $75.2

34.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.52 $12.52

17.89%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$7.58 $7.58

-14.25%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.88 $2.88

11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.46 $2.46

27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.43 $5.43

46.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.16 $7.16

13.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.21 $3.21

65.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.18 $3.18

101.26%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.98 $4.98

1.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$4.33 $4.33

332.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.85 $15.85

18.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.91 $22.91

-0.13%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.36 $4.36

38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.97 $1.97

-1.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.61 $3.61

52.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.53 $4.53

43.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.24 $3.24

7.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.93 $3.93

-16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.07 $3.07

-8.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.68 $2.68

-3.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.11 $8.11

54.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.21 $15.21

-2.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.81 $0.81

74.07%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$31.1K $31.1K

18.37%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$21.9K $21.9K

21.24%

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

$308 $308

$210 $210

46.27%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$160 $160

-56.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.3 $76.3

12.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.99 $14.99

20.21%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,061 $1,061

158.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$35.08 $35.08

125.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$63.6 $63.6

-14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$114 $114

11.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$75.6 $75.6

110.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$906 $906

176.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$645 $645

200.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,643 $1,643

211.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,162 $1,162

204.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,545 $1,545

377.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,518 $1,518

229.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,511 $3,511

84.28%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Minot, ND: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Minot, ND

$645 32.7% 66.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Minot, ND

$400 * 20.3% 26.9% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Minot, ND

$446 22.7% 3.6% $17

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Minot, ND

$320 16.2% 21.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Minot, ND

$130 6.6% 31.2% $59

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Minot, ND

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Minot, ND

$30 * 1.5% 73.3% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $906 in Minot, ND. 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 84% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $75 in Minot, ND. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $400 – making Minot, ND the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Minot, ND

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

34,745

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Minot, ND 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Minot, ND

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 Minot, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $1,970 in Minot, ND – Minot, ND comes out roughly 48% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,955 in Minot, ND. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Minot, ND, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $906 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,970 in Minot, ND. That makes Minot, ND about 48% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,061 in Minot, ND. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Minot, ND, where all-in costs run around $1,970, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Minot, ND it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Minot, ND – 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 Minot, ND. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.