Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Monterey Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Monterey Park, CA: $2,869 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,869

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Monterey Park, CA $2,869

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,188 in Monterey Park, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Monterey Park, CA $4,188

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,507 in Monterey Park, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Monterey Park, CA $5,507

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Monterey Park, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$25.99 $25.99

-5.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$80.3 $80.3

22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.96 $14.96

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.09 $6.09

7.06%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.06 $3.06

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.66 $2.66

19.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.94 $9.94

-19.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.34 $1.34

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.89 $4.89

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.72 $4.72

28.18%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.60 $5.60

-12.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.41 $11.41

68.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.91 $8.91

112.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.39 $19.39

20.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.60 $4.60

30.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.23 $2.23

-13.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.07 $4.07

28.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.62 $5.62

16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.30 $3.30

9.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.88 $2.88

14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 $2.00

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.44 $2.44

2.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.80 $11.80

3.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.79 $14.79

0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.42 $2.42

74.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.70 $2.70

113.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.23 $2.23

32.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.03 $3.03

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.88 $1.88

-8.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.72 $32.72

-9.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.4K $29.4K

22.08%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.85%

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

$302 $302

$269 $269

12.14%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$87.3 $87.3

-19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$80.1 $80.1

6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.12 $42.12

84.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$18.11 $18.11

-1.49%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,202 $1,202

147.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$32.4K $32.4K

-3.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$63.8 $63.8

20.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$54.3 $54.3

-0.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$120 $120

6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$214 $214

-23.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,602 $1,602

52.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,300 $1,300

49.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,556 $2,556

85.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,133 $2,133

62.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,371 $2,371

210.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,221 $2,221

130.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$1,585 $1,585

310.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 45.3% 33.2% $647

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.7% 22.8% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$437 15.2% 4.5% $21

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Monterey Park, CA

$408 14.2% 2.1% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Monterey Park, CA

$203 7.1% 6.8% $13

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$21 * 0.7% 83.5% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Monterey Park, CA

$78 2.7% 31% $35

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 $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 310% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $80.0 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $421 per month, with Monterey Park, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

60,269

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Monterey Park, CA 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterey Park, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monterey Park, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 310% 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 $1,602 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,869 in Monterey Park, CA – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Monterey Park, CA 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 Monterey Park, CA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,869 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Monterey Park, CA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Monterey Park, 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 Monterey Park, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.