Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Montgomery, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Montgomery, AL: $2,157 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
104

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,157 in Montgomery, AL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Montgomery, AL $2,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,969 in Montgomery, AL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Montgomery, AL $2,969

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,781 in Montgomery, AL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Montgomery, AL $3,781

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 75% more expensive than in Montgomery, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Montgomery, AL 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.77 $15.77

60.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$55.5 $55.5

81.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.39 $10.39

42.06%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.57 $5.57

16.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.65 $2.65

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.10 $2.10

49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.40 $4.40

81.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.79 $4.79

69.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.89 $0.89

31.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.56 $3.56

48.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.08 $2.08

207.69%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.14 $3.14

61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$8.20 $8.20

128.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$7.57 $7.57

147.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.55 $14.55

57.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.11 $4.11

47.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.30 $1.30

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.01 $2.01

174.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.00 $4.00

63.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.17 $3.17

10.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.80 $2.80

17.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.07 $2.07

35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.21 $2.21

16.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.51 $8.51

46.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.99 $14.99

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.95 $1.95

114.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.92 $3.92

47.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.05 $2.05

48.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$45.11 $45.11

134.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$26.31 $26.31

14.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.87 $0.87

62.07%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

30.51%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.26%

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

$308 $308

$300 $300

2.61%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.6 $51.6

34.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.3 $71.3

20.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$33.13 $33.13

130.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$28.24 $28.24

25.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$10.09 $10.09

78.59%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,385 $1,385

98.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$13.9K $13.9K

120.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.94 $47.94

65.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.15 $35.15

54.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$85.4 $85.4

48.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$94.8 $94.8

67.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,409 $1,409

77.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$898 $898

115.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,926 $1,926

165.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,210 $1,210

192.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,405 $1,405

424.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,227 $1,227

307.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,599 $3,599

79.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.54

5.35%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Montgomery, AL

$898 41.7% 53.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Montgomery, AL

$325 15.1% 40.5% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Montgomery, AL

$423 19.6% 8.7% $40

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Montgomery, AL

$275 12.7% 32.4% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Montgomery, AL

$118 5.5% 37.2% $70

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Montgomery, AL

$64 3% 50.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Montgomery, AL

$53 2.5% 52.6% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,409 in Montgomery, AL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $56 in Montgomery, AL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $325 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🕒 Local time

12:33 12:33 PM

14:33 2:33 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

200,603

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Montgomery, AL 3,460 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Montgomery, AL

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 Montgomery, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,157 in Montgomery, AL, so Montgomery, AL is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 80% 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 $1,409 in Montgomery, AL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Montgomery, AL – a meal for two runs $56 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,157 in Montgomery, AL – Montgomery, AL is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,157 in Montgomery, AL versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.