Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mountain View, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mountain View, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
227

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
Learn more

Mountain View, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Mountain View, CA

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 View, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Mountain View, CA $4,650

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,615 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Mountain View, CA $6,615

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,580 in Mountain View, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Mountain View, CA $8,580

Seattle, WA is about 19% cheaper than Mountain View, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Seattle, WA and Mountain View, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Mountain View, CA by 242%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.34 $20.34

24.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

0.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.96 $11.96

23.41%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.21 $5.21

24.76%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.73 $2.73

17.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.72 $2.72

15.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.15 $7.15

11.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.99 $9.99

-18.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.18 $4.18

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.68 $4.68

36.75%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.52 $5.52

-8.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.21 $16.21

15.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.71 $11.71

59.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$12.96 $12.96

76.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.39 $5.39

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.88 $1.88

3.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.43 $4.43

24.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.69 $5.69

14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.94 $3.94

-11.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$5.65 $5.65

-41.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.43 $2.43

15.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.62 $2.62

-1.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.63 $11.63

7.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.92 $12.92

15.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.15 $2.15

94.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.45 $2.45

136.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.47 $2.47

23.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$88.6 $88.6

19.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.91 $3.91

-34.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$4.87 $4.87

-66.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.57 $1.57

-10.19%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.09%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.12%

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

$308 $308

$288 $288

6.65%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$44.81 $44.81

54.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$63.9 $63.9

34.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$78.6 $78.6

-2.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$11.81 $11.81

200.59%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.10 $17.10

5.38%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,141 $2,141

28.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.6K $23.6K

29.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.7 $52.7

50.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$99.5 $99.5

-45.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$151 $151

-16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$149 $149

7.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,529 $3,529

-28.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$3,039 $3,039

-36.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,702 $4,702

8.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$5,009 $5,009

-29.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$11.9K $11.9K

-38.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$10.1K $10.1K

-50.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$9,788 $9,788

-33.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.14

12.21%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Mountain View, CA

$3K 65.4% 56.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Mountain View, CA

$432 9.3% 21.1% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Mountain View, CA

$397 8.5% 14.2% $66

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Mountain View, CA

$339 7.3% 16.6% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4% 7.8% $15

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Mountain View, CA

$127 2.7% 1.8% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Mountain View, CA

$113 2.4% 0.3% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $3,529 in Mountain View, CA. 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 51% higher in Mountain View, CA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $101 in Mountain View, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $432 in Mountain View, CA – so Mountain View, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

82,739

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Mountain View, CA 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Mountain View, CA

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 View, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $4,650 in Mountain View, CA – Seattle, WA comes out roughly 19% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,974 in Mountain View, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $3,529 in Mountain View, CA.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Mountain View, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Mountain View, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,650 in Mountain View, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $4,650 in Mountain View, CA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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