Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mount Vernon, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Vernon, WA: $2,834 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Mount Vernon, WA
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Mount Vernon, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Mount Vernon, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Mount Vernon, WA

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 Mount Vernon, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,834 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Mount Vernon, WA $2,834

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,004 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Mount Vernon, WA $4,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,173 in Mount Vernon, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Mount Vernon, WA $5,173

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Mount Vernon, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Mount Vernon, WA 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.25 $22.25

13.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.3 $60.3

67.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.86 $12.86

14.77%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.96 $5.96

9.06%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.19 $2.19

46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.70 $1.70

84.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.19 $7.19

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.37 $9.37

-13.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.06 $1.06

10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.24 $4.24

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.76 $2.76

131.88%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.40 $5.40

-6.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.21 $11.21

66.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.60 $6.60

183.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$8.19 $8.19

179.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.60 $5.60

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.43 $2.43

-19.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.33 $5.33

3.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.50 $4.50

44.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.92 $4.92

-29.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.92 $1.92

71.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.03 $2.03

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$5.92 $5.92

110.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$19.87 $19.87

-25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.17 $2.17

93.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.52 $2.52

130.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$30.54 $30.54

246.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.16 $1.16

21.55%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

32.15%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$19.2K $19.2K

38.54%

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

$308 $308

$157 $157

96.32%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$44.44 $44.44

55.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$65.4 $65.4

31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$71.0 $71.0

7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.64 $13.64

32.11%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,915 $1,915

43.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$48.4K $48.4K

-36.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$39.55 $39.55

100.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$30.18 $30.18

79.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$78.4 $78.4

61.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$80.0 $80.0

98.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,489 $1,489

68.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,609 $1,609

20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,545 $2,545

101.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,514 $2,514

40.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,964 $3,964

86.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,064 $4,064

23.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,803 $3,803

70.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.42

7.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mount Vernon, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Mount Vernon, WA

$1.6K 56.8% 17% $330

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Mount Vernon, WA

$369 13% 32.5% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Mount Vernon, WA

$267 9.4% 42.4% $196

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Mount Vernon, WA

$358 12.6% 11.8% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Mount Vernon, WA

$103 3.6% 45.6% $86

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Mount Vernon, WA

$31 * 1.1% 76.3% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Mount Vernon, WA

$98 3.5% 12.6% $14

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,489 in Mount Vernon, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 70% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $60 in Mount Vernon, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $369 per month, with Mount Vernon, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Mount Vernon, WA

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

73,893

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.897 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Mount Vernon, WA 91 km

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Seattle, WA
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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 Mount Vernon, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Vernon, WA is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 70% 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 $1,489 in Mount Vernon, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Mount Vernon, WA – a meal for two runs $60 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Mount Vernon, 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.

Expats usually find Mount Vernon, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.