Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mission Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,782 a month against $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mission Viejo, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Mission Viejo, CA
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Mission Viejo, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Mission Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Viejo, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Mission Viejo, CA $3,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,862 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Mission Viejo, CA $4,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,741 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Mission Viejo, CA $5,741

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 5% less than in Mission Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Mission Viejo, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$21.20 $21.20

15.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.2 $75.2

30.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.06 $10.06

47.02%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.46 $5.46

19.41%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.06 $2.06

56.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.53 $1.53

107.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.14 $5.14

52.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.72 $5.72

40.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.08 $1.08

12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.97 $3.97

29.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$1.96 $1.96

208.67%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.54 $4.54

7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.87 $13.87

38.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.60 $13.60

39.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$12.44 $12.44

87.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.05 $5.05

18.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.56 $1.56

23.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.91 $2.91

80.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.79 $4.79

37.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.14 $2.14

69.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.35 $4.35

-23.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 $2.05

35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.27 $2.27

10.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.56 $11.56

5.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.64 $13.64

8.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.65 $1.65

155.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.67 $2.67

116.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.06 $2.06

43.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.48 $3.48

-23.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.90 $1.90

-9.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$23.61 $23.61

25.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.37 $1.37

8.76%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.4K $30.4K

18.18%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

0.00%

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

$302 $302

$244 $244

23.47%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$79.8 $79.8

-12.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$65.5 $65.5

30.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.75 $39.75

95.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.80 $11.80

51.19%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$551 $551

439.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$8,298 $8,298

276.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$31.68 $31.68

141.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$34.66 $34.66

55.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$72.1 $72.1

77.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$138 $138

19.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,653 $2,653

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,683 $2,683

-27.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,774 $3,774

25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,907 $2,907

19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$7,598 $7,598

-3.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$5,292 $5,292

-3.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,808 $5,808

12.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mission Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Mission Viejo, CA

$2.7K 67.4% 37.8% $737

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Mission Viejo, CA

$385 9.7% 29.4% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Mission Viejo, CA

$390 9.8% 14.8% $67

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Mission Viejo, CA

$317 8% 20.7% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Mission Viejo, CA

$124 3.1% 34.7% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Mission Viejo, CA

$21 * 0.5% 83.6% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Mission Viejo, CA

$63 1.6% 44.2% $50

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Mission Viejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $385 per month, with Mission Viejo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Mission Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

01:50 1:50 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

97,156

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Mission Viejo, CA 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Mission Viejo, CA

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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 Viejo, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Mission Viejo, CA differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $3,984 including rent). Seattle, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $551 in Mission Viejo, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $98.0 versus $75.0 in Mission Viejo, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Mission Viejo, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Mission Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.