Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Morgantown, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Morgantown, WV: $2,292 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Morgantown, WV
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Morgantown, WV Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Morgantown, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Morgantown, WV

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 Morgantown, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,292 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Morgantown, WV $2,292

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,457 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Morgantown, WV $3,457

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,622 in Morgantown, WV, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Morgantown, WV $4,622

Seattle, WA costs about 66% more than Morgantown, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Morgantown, WV sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Morgantown, WV by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.12 $20.12

25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.1 $67.1

51.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.81 $10.81

37.37%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.63 $4.63

42.33%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.71 $2.71

18.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.21 $2.21

42.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.62 $4.62

77.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.49 $4.49

78.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.81 $0.81

49.38%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.24 $2.24

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.76 $3.76

67.55%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.27 $4.27

14.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.69 $10.69

78.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.30 $14.30

29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$12.80 $12.80

79.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.43 $6.43

-9.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.91 $1.91

2.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.20 $4.20

25.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.21 $5.21

24.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$7.46 $7.46

-52.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.42 $5.42

-41.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.92 $1.92

48.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.54 $2.54

-4.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.20 $10.20

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.23 $14.23

5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.71 $1.71

143.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.17 $3.17

88.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.95 $1.95

55.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$78.8 $78.8

39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.89 $4.89

-47.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.06 $3.06

-46.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$35.60 $35.60

-16.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.92 $0.92

54.35%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.9K $22.9K

56.36%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.1K $24.1K

6.14%

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

$299 $299

$451 $451

-33.77%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$38.63 $38.63

83.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$72.6 $72.6

21.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$17.38 $17.38

357.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$50.8 $50.8

-30.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.73 $15.73

8.84%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$598 $598

403.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$64.2K $64.2K

-50.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$57.4 $57.4

34.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$25.41 $25.41

116.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$74.1 $74.1

69.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$69.7 $69.7

133.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$980 $980

151.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$766 $766

155.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,821 $1,821

158.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,541 $1,541

130.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$1,929 $1,929

280.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,769 $1,769

185.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,127 $4,127

52.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.66

2.85%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Morgantown, WV: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Morgantown, WV

$766 33.4% 60.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Morgantown, WV

$406 17.7% 25.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Morgantown, WV

$563 24.5% 22.8% $105

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Morgantown, WV

$301 13.1% 26.4% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Morgantown, WV

$102 4.5% 46.1% $87

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Morgantown, WV

$107 4.7% 19.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Morgantown, WV

$49 2.1% 57.1% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $980 in Morgantown, WV. 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 52% 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 $67.0 in Morgantown, WV. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $406 – making Morgantown, WV the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Morgantown, WV

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

09:22 9:22 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

30,347

💱 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 Morgantown, WV 3,480 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Morgantown, WV

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 Morgantown, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 66% more than Morgantown, WV, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,439 in Morgantown, WV. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morgantown, WV, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,292 in Morgantown, WV. That's a gap of about 66%.

Public transport costs about 40% less in Morgantown, WV. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morgantown, WV, where all-in costs run around $2,292, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Morgantown, WV it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Morgantown, WV costs $2,292 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Morgantown, WV. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.