Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mission, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mission, TX: $2,548 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,800
/mo nomad
Mission, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,548
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Mission, TX

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 Mission, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,548 in Mission, TX.

  • Seattle, WA $3,800
  • Mission, TX $2,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,724 in Mission, TX.

  • Seattle, WA $5,702
  • Mission, TX $3,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,900 in Mission, TX.

  • Seattle, WA $7,603
  • Mission, TX $4,900

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Mission, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Mission, TX 89% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$25.32 $25.32
$18.78 $18.78
34.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$76.1 $76.1
33.31%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.85 $14.85
$11.08 $11.08
34.03%
Cappuccino
$6.59 $6.59
$5.10 $5.10
29.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.56 $2.56
25.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.05 $2.05
53.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.18 $8.18
$5.95 $5.95
37.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.03 $8.03
$6.91 $6.91
16.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$1.00 $1.00
21.00%
White Bread (500g)
$5.12 $5.12
$3.58 $3.58
43.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.30 $6.30
$4.38 $4.38
43.84%
Eggs
$4.90 $4.90
$4.22 $4.22
16.11%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.10 $19.10
$12.10 $12.10
57.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.50 $18.50
$11.57 $11.57
59.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.03 $23.03
$15.30 $15.30
50.52%
Apples (1kg)
$5.81 $5.81
$4.79 $4.79
21.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.62 $1.62
20.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.29 $5.29
$4.16 $4.16
27.16%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.48 $6.48
$4.85 $4.85
33.61%
Potato (1kg)
$3.57 $3.57
$2.92 $2.92
22.26%
Onion (1kg)
$3.15 $3.15
$2.90 $2.90
8.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.85 $2.85
$2.07 $2.07
37.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.18 $2.18
11.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.75 $12.75
$9.51 $9.51
34.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.99 $14.99
$14.18 $14.18
5.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.17 $4.17
$1.84 $1.84
126.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.99 $5.99
$3.46 $3.46
73.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.04 $3.04
$1.99 $1.99
52.76%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$110 $110
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.55 $2.55
$3.40 $3.40
-25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.64 $1.64
$1.61 $1.61
1.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.58 $29.58
$29.40 $29.40
0.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 $1.42
$0.85 $0.85
67.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$29.3K $29.3K
21.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$25.4K $25.4K
0.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 $299
$188 $188
58.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.8 $70.8
$51.9 $51.9
36.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$88.3 $88.3
$66.4 $66.4
33.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.5 $79.5
$42.34 $42.34
87.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.37 $35.37
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.12 $17.12
$13.29 $13.29
28.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,013 $3,013
$1,303 $1,303
131.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.6K $31.6K
$23.5K $23.5K
34.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.2 $77.2
$51.8 $51.8
49.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$55.1 $55.1
$39.80 $39.80
38.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 $126
$87.8 $87.8
43.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$163 $163
$111 $111
46.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,464 $2,464
$1,608 $1,608
53.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,956 $1,956
$1,327 $1,327
47.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,711 $4,711
$2,594 $2,594
81.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,550 $3,550
$2,181 $2,181
62.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,346 $7,346
$2,740 $2,740
168.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,048 $5,048
$2,455 $2,455
105.65%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Mission, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,286 $6,286
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
6.51
5.22%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mission, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$2K
Mission, TX
$1.3K 32.2% $629
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$542
Mission, TX
$388 28.3% $153
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$458
Mission, TX
$307 33.1% $151
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$409
Mission, TX
$307 24.9% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$189
Mission, TX
$131 30.9% $58
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$133
Mission, TX
$19 * 85.4% $114
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$114
Mission, TX
$69 39.4% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,608 in Mission, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in Mission, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $388 per month, with Mission, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 Mission, TX
🕒 Local time
04:10 4:10 AM
06:10 6:10 AM
2 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
63,272
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Mission, TX 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Mission, TX

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 Mission, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Seattle, WA or Mission, TX?
Mission, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mission, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Seattle, WA and in Mission, TX?
You'd need roughly $5,701 in Seattle, WA and $3,822 in Mission, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Seattle, WA compared to Mission, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,608 in Mission, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Seattle, WA and in Mission, TX?
Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,303 in Mission, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Seattle, WA and in Mission, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Mission, TX – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Seattle, WA or in Mission, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Mission, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Seattle, WA or Mission, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Mission, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Mission, TX hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Mission, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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