Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mountain Home, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Mountain Home, ID: $2,430 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Mountain Home, ID
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Mountain Home, ID Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Mountain Home, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,430

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Mountain Home, 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 Mountain Home, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Mountain Home, ID $2,430

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,678 in Mountain Home, ID.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Mountain Home, ID $3,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,927 in Mountain Home, ID.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Mountain Home, ID $4,927

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Mountain Home, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Mountain Home, ID 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.76 $18.76

30.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$71.5 $71.5

37.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.64 $12.64

17.01%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.55 $5.55

17.48%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.82 $2.82

14.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.19 $2.19

44.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.97 $5.97

31.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.48 $6.48

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.08 $1.08

12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.62 $3.62

41.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.26 $4.26

42.02%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.22 $4.22

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.80 $12.80

49.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.72 $11.72

61.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.77 $16.77

39.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.89 $4.89

22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.65 $1.65

16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.18 $4.18

25.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.65 $4.65

41.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.86 $2.86

26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.00 $3.00

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.19 $2.19

26.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.56 $2.56

-1.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.22 $10.22

19.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.94 $14.94

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.99 $1.99

112.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.46 $3.46

66.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.26 $2.26

30.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.67 $2.67

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.73 $1.73

-0.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.44 $26.44

12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 $1.19

25.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.0K $27.0K

32.77%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

2.32%

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

$302 $302

$196 $196

54.32%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$58.9 $58.9

19.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.1 $70.1

21.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$46.47 $46.47

67.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.81 $13.81

29.18%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,333 $1,333

123.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.0K $20.0K

56.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.5 $53.5

43.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$45.22 $45.22

19.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$80.2 $80.2

59.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$120 $120

36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,607 $1,607

52.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,155 $1,155

68.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,354 $2,354

101.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,133 $2,133

62.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,447 $2,447

201.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,373 $2,373

116.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mountain Home, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Mountain Home, ID

$1.2K 47.5% 40.7% $791

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$403 16.6% 26.1% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Mountain Home, ID

$325 13.4% 29% $133

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Mountain Home, ID

$317 13.1% 20.6% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Mountain Home, ID

$135 5.5% 29.2% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Mountain Home, ID

$20 * 0.8% 84.2% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Mountain Home, ID

$74 3.1% 34.7% $39

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 $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98 in Seattle, WA vs $72 in Mountain Home, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $403 per month, with Mountain Home, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Mountain Home, ID

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,656

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Mountain Home, ID 720 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Mountain Home, ID

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 Mountain Home, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mountain Home, ID is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and eating out. The 56% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,645 in Mountain Home, ID to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,607 in Mountain Home, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% 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 $2,430 in Mountain Home, ID – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.