Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Nampa, ID: $2,288 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Nampa, ID
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Nampa, ID Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Nampa, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,288

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,288 in Nampa, ID.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Nampa, ID $2,288

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,186 in Nampa, ID.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Nampa, ID $3,186

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,084 in Nampa, ID.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Nampa, ID $4,084

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 65% more expensive than in Nampa, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Nampa, ID 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.27 $15.27

60.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$69.6 $69.6

41.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.53 $12.53

18.04%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.63 $5.63

15.81%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.86 $2.86

12.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.03 $2.03

56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.41 $5.41

45.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.48 $6.48

23.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.70 $2.70

90.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.32 $4.32

40.05%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.38 $4.38

11.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$14.30 $14.30

34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$7.97 $7.97

137.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.76 $14.76

57.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.88 $4.88

22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.15 $1.15

67.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.89 $3.89

34.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.81 $4.81

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.75 $2.75

31.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.63 $2.63

25.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.27 $2.27

22.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.41 $2.41

4.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.67 $8.67

40.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$7.12 $7.12

108.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.05 $2.05

105.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.49 $1.49

287.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.68 $2.68

-1.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 $1.54

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.43 $24.43

21.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.89 $0.89

67.42%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.3K $33.3K

7.77%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

1.11%

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

$302 $302

$165 $165

82.47%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$56.1 $56.1

25.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$76.7 $76.7

11.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$35.33 $35.33

120.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$10.51 $10.51

69.74%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$969 $969

206.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

32.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.3 $53.3

43.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.33 $41.33

30.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$77.0 $77.0

66.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$72.8 $72.8

125.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,242 $1,242

96.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,177 $1,177

65.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,742 $1,742

172.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,627 $1,627

113.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,743 $3,743

73.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nampa, ID: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Nampa, ID

$1.2K 51.5% 39.5% $769

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Nampa, ID

$348 15.2% 36.1% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Nampa, ID

$298 13% 34.8% $159

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Nampa, ID

$287 12.5% 28.2% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Nampa, ID

$110 4.8% 42.2% $80

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Nampa, ID

$10 * 0.5% 92% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Nampa, ID

$56 2.5% 50.3% $57

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 $1,242 in Nampa, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 74% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $70.0 in Nampa, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $348 per month, with Nampa, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Nampa, ID

🕒 Local time

14:19 2:19 PM

15:19 3:19 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

101,410

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Nampa, ID 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Nampa, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Nampa, ID differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,288 including rent). Nampa, ID is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 74% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,242 in Nampa, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% 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 $2,288 in Nampa, ID – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,288 in Nampa, ID versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Nampa, ID but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Nampa, ID the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Nampa, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.