Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Moscow, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow, ID: $2,108 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Moscow, ID
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Moscow, ID Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Moscow, ID

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 Moscow, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,108 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Moscow, ID $2,108

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,438 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Moscow, ID $3,438

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,768 in Moscow, ID, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Moscow, ID $4,768

Seattle, WA costs about 79% more than Moscow, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Moscow, ID sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Moscow, ID by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$8.88 $8.88

184.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.1 $64.1

57.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.33 $6.33

133.18%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.16 $3.16

105.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.31 $1.31

145.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.98 $1.98

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.40 $5.40

47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.43 $4.43

83.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.01 $1.01

15.84%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.86 $2.86

85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.01 $4.01

59.60%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.08 $4.08

24.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.34 $19.34

-3.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$17.59 $17.59

6.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.20 $20.20

13.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.94 $4.94

22.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.84 $0.84

132.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.10 $3.10

77.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.48 $5.48

18.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.08 $2.08

67.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.10 $2.10

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.61 $1.61

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.64 $8.64

44.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.61 $12.61

17.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.70 $1.70

146.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.72 $4.72

22.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.01 $4.01

-35.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$4.08 $4.08

-59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$49.89 $49.89

-39.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.99 $0.99

42.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$32.9K $32.9K

11.68%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

-6.66%

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

$308 $308

$271 $271

13.43%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$38.78 $38.78

78.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.6 $71.6

20.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$143 $143

-46.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.82 $14.82

21.59%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,572 $1,572

74.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.1K $21.1K

44.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$30.02 $30.02

163.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.40 $39.40

37.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$83.4 $83.4

52.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$60.3 $60.3

163.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,005 $1,005

149.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$826 $826

134.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,296 $2,296

122.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,074 $2,074

70.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,807 $2,807

162.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,864 $2,864

74.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,953 $2,953

119.10%

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 Moscow, ID: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Moscow, ID

$826 39.2% 57.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Moscow, ID

$431 20.4% 21.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Moscow, ID

$382 18.1% 17.6% $81

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Moscow, ID

$177 8.4% 56.4% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Moscow, ID

$96 4.6% 49.2% $93

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Moscow, ID

$24 * 1.2% 81.1% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Moscow, ID

$173 8.2% 53.4% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,005 in Moscow, ID. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $64 in Moscow, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $431 – making Moscow, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Moscow, ID

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

22,352

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Moscow, ID 410 km

From you

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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 Moscow, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,108 in Moscow, ID – Moscow, ID comes out roughly 44% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,163 in Moscow, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Moscow, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,005 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $64 in Moscow, ID. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Moscow, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,108, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Moscow, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Moscow, ID – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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