Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Nashville, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Nashville, TN: $2,847 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Nashville, TN
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Nashville, TN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Nashville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,847

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Nashville, TN

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 Nashville, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,847 in Nashville, TN.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Nashville, TN $2,847

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,247 in Nashville, TN.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Nashville, TN $4,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,647 in Nashville, TN.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Nashville, TN $5,647

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Nashville, TN 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$18.45 $18.45

37.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.1 $84.1

20.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.21 $12.21

21.62%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.61 $6.61

-0.30%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.88 $2.88

11.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.43 $2.43

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.91 $6.91

18.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.98 $7.98

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.14 $1.14

6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.93 $3.93

30.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.96 $3.96

59.09%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.31 $4.31

13.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$12.91 $12.91

47.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.24 $14.24

29.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$18.32 $18.32

25.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.69 $5.69

2.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.52 $1.52

28.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.23 $4.23

25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.08 $5.08

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.59 $2.59

37.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.02 $3.02

4.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.26 $2.26

26.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.33 $2.33

3.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.39 $10.39

22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.51 $15.51

-3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.37 $2.37

75.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.66 $4.66

28.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.03 $2.03

49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$64.7 $64.7

70.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$5.09 $5.09

-49.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.59 $1.59

3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$20.80 $20.80

42.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.00 $1.00

42.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.7K $36.7K

-2.67%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.59%

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

$299 $299

$232 $232

29.07%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$74.0 $74.0

-4.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$74.8 $74.8

18.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$55.2 $55.2

44.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$14.44 $14.44

144.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.87 $14.87

15.13%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,475 $1,475

104.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$30.9K $30.9K

2.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$55.5 $55.5

39.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.06 $43.06

27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$91.7 $91.7

37.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$139 $139

17.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,999 $1,999

23.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,380 $1,380

41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$4,438 $4,438

6.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,422 $2,422

46.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$8,035 $8,035

-8.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,673 $2,673

88.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,645 $4,645

35.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.55

4.58%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Nashville, TN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Nashville, TN

$1.4K 48.5% 29.4% $576

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Nashville, TN

$432 15.2% 20.3% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Nashville, TN

$381 13.4% 16.9% $78

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Nashville, TN

$335 11.8% 17.9% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Nashville, TN

$148 5.2% 21.8% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Nashville, TN

$86 3% 35.5% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Nashville, TN

$85 3% 25.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,999 in Nashville, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 35% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $84.0 in Nashville, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $432 per month, with Nashville, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Nashville, TN

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

689,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Nashville, TN 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Nashville, TN

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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 Nashville, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Nashville, TN differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,800 vs $2,847 including rent). Nashville, TN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,999 in Nashville, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $1,475 in Nashville, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Nashville, TN 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 Nashville, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.