Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Braunfels, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in New Braunfels, TX: $2,489 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 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
123

Cost of Living Index in New Braunfels, TX
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New Braunfels, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

New Braunfels, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,489

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in New Braunfels, TX

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 New Braunfels, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
New Braunfels, TX $2,489

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,594 in New Braunfels, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
New Braunfels, TX $3,594

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,698 in New Braunfels, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
New Braunfels, TX $4,698

Seattle, WA costs about 50% more than New Braunfels, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and New Braunfels, TX sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, New Braunfels, TX by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$14.92 $14.92

64.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$68.8 $68.8

44.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$12.05 $12.05

26.97%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.53 $5.53

19.71%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.92 $2.92

11.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.78 $1.78

74.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.14 $5.14

51.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.05 $6.05

31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.80 $0.80

51.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.11 $3.11

58.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.06 $2.06

199.51%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.93 $2.93

69.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$12.20 $12.20

55.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$9.64 $9.64

93.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$12.76 $12.76

81.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.47 $6.47

-8.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.19 $1.19

63.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.18 $3.18

63.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.62 $3.62

80.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.38 $2.38

52.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.01 $3.01

4.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.78 $1.78

63.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.62 $1.62

46.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$6.40 $6.40

93.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$13.97 $13.97

7.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.77 $1.77

142.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.79 $3.79

50.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$151 $151

-28.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$10.12 $10.12

-73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.83 $1.83

-4.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$29.83 $29.83

0.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.89 $0.89

64.04%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.4K $36.4K

0.83%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.1K $25.1K

2.38%

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

$299 $299

$181 $181

65.65%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$40.56 $40.56

71.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$54.5 $54.5

65.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$32.74 $32.74

144.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$11.40 $11.40

52.02%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$745 $745

300.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$18.4K $18.4K

70.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$57.1 $57.1

35.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$25.31 $25.31

116.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$84.5 $84.5

49.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$122 $122

35.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,594 $1,594

50.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,308 $1,308

50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,329 $2,329

105.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,018 $2,018

76.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,379 $2,379

212.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,809 $2,809

78.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,399 $4,399

42.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for New Braunfels, TX: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

New Braunfels, TX

$1.3K 51.2% 33.4% $655

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

New Braunfels, TX

$337 13.2% 37.8% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

New Braunfels, TX

$276 10.8% 39.9% $183

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

New Braunfels, TX

$278 10.9% 30.7% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

New Braunfels, TX

$130 5.1% 31.8% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

New Braunfels, TX

$170 * 6.7% 28.9% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

New Braunfels, TX

$56 2.2% 51.5% $59

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,594 in New Braunfels, TX. 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 43% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $337 – making New Braunfels, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Braunfels, TX

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

90,403

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA New Braunfels, TX 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
New Braunfels, TX

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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 New Braunfels, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,734 in New Braunfels, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Braunfels, TX, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA and $69.0 in New Braunfels, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX. That's a gap of about 50%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,489 in New Braunfels, TX to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with New Braunfels, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.