Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Oakland, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Seattle, WA and in Oakland, CA: $3,782 and $3,733 a month, rent and utilities included.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Oakland, CA
Learn more

Oakland, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,733 in Oakland, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Oakland, CA $3,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $5,782 in Oakland, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Oakland, CA $5,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $7,831 in Oakland, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Oakland, CA $7,831

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 1% more expensive than in Oakland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Oakland, CA 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$24.50 $24.50

0.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$118 $118

-16.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.79 $11.79

25.45%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.55 $5.55

17.48%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.60 $3.60

-10.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.42 $2.42

30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.81 $7.81

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.22 $8.22

-2.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.39 $1.39

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.99 $4.99

3.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$8.45 $8.45

-28.40%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$6.18 $6.18

-21.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$25.97 $25.97

-26.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$18.25 $18.25

3.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$22.57 $22.57

3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$7.94 $7.94

-24.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.37 $2.37

-18.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$8.32 $8.32

-36.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.58 $6.58

-0.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$5.14 $5.14

-29.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.97 $2.97

11.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.56 $2.56

8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.05 $3.05

-17.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.88 $11.88

2.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$19.90 $19.90

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.72 $1.72

145.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.73 $3.73

54.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.11 $3.11

-5.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$85.7 $85.7

23.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.29 $3.29

-19.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.43 $2.43

-29.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$40.06 $40.06

-25.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.54 $1.54

-3.25%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.60%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.63%

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

$302 $302

$192 $192

57.43%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$64.7 $64.7

8.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.4 $66.4

28.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$39.08 $39.08

99.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$12.86 $12.86

168.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.71 $15.71

13.56%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,701 $2,701

10.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$36.9K $36.9K

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$70.0 $70.0

9.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$48.49 $48.49

11.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$118 $118

8.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$209 $209

-21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,367 $2,367

3.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$2,045 $2,045

-4.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$4,278 $4,278

10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,869 $3,869

-10.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$7,913 $7,913

-6.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$5,795 $5,795

-11.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,523 $5,523

17.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.77

1.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oakland, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Oakland, CA

$2K 54.8% 5.1% $98

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Oakland, CA

$603 16.2% 10.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Oakland, CA

$323 8.7% 29.4% $134

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Oakland, CA

$378 10.1% 5.5% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Oakland, CA

$200 5.4% 5.3% $10

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Oakland, CA

$114 3% 12.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Oakland, CA

$71 1.9% 37.9% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,367 in Oakland, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 18% 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 $118 in Oakland, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $603 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Oakland, CA

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

433,031

💱 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 Oakland, CA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Oakland, 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 Oakland, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Oakland, CA differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $3,733 including rent). Oakland, CA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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 $2,367 in Oakland, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Seattle, WA pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Oakland, CA – a meal for two runs $118 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Oakland, CA 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 Oakland, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.