Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and North East, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in North East, MD: $2,506 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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 North East, MD
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North East, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

North East, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in North East, MD

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 North East, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,506 in North East, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,782
North East, MD $2,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,589 in North East, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,636
North East, MD $3,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,672 in North East, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,489
North East, MD $4,672

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 51% more expensive than in North East, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, North East, MD 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.08 $15.08

62.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.6 $74.6

31.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.23 $10.23

44.57%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.24 $5.24

24.43%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.33 $2.33

38.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.75 $1.75

81.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.90 $6.90

13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.47 $4.47

79.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.17 $1.17

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.94 $2.94

74.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.68 $2.68

125.75%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.82 $3.82

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$9.38 $9.38

104.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.59 $9.59

97.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.48 $18.48

26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.64 $4.64

29.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.32 $1.32

46.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.34 $4.34

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.00 $4.00

64.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.56 $2.56

41.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.47 $2.47

34.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.55 $2.55

9.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.79 $1.79

40.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.99 $13.99

-12.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.44 $14.44

2.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.43 $2.43

73.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.64 $3.64

58.52%

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

$5.03 $5.03

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.12 $1.12

53.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$23.07 $23.07

28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 $1.05

41.90%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.3K $33.3K

7.95%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

3.22%

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

$302 $302

$294 $294

2.72%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$49.39 $49.39

41.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$60.8 $60.8

40.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$38.46 $38.46

102.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$16.64 $16.64

7.21%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,948 $1,948

52.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$27.8K $27.8K

12.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$46.28 $46.28

65.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.54 $39.54

36.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$86.4 $86.4

48.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$132 $132

24.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,767 $1,767

38.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,241 $1,241

56.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,682 $2,682

76.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,984 $1,984

74.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,643 $2,643

178.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,189 $2,189

134.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

North East, MD

$1.2K 49.5% 36.3% $706

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

North East, MD

$360 14.4% 34.1% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

North East, MD

$404 16.1% 11.6% $53

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

North East, MD

$274 10.9% 31.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

North East, MD

$137 5.5% 28.2% $54

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

North East, MD

$20 * 0.8% 84.8% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

North East, MD

$72 2.9% 36.8% $42

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 $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in North East, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $360 per month, with North East, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 North East, MD

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

21:24 9:24 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

3,600

💱 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 North East, MD 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
North East, MD

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 North East, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North East, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making North East, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,760 in North East, MD 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 $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% 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 $2,506 in North East, MD – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. North East, MD is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but North East, MD delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,506 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes North East, MD hard to pass up.

Expats usually find North East, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.