Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Opelousas, LA

For one person, living is cheaper in Opelousas, LA: $1,710 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Opelousas, LA
Learn more

Opelousas, LA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Opelousas, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Opelousas, LA

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 Opelousas, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $1,710 in Opelousas, LA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Opelousas, LA $1,710

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,643 in Opelousas, LA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Opelousas, LA $2,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,577 in Opelousas, LA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Opelousas, LA $3,577

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 121% more expensive than in Opelousas, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Opelousas, LA 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.08 $20.08

22.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.0 $74.0

32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.35 $11.35

30.31%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.27 $5.27

23.72%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.60 $2.60

24.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.98 $1.98

60.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.96 $5.96

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.46 $7.46

7.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.84 $0.84

44.05%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.62 $2.62

96.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.42 $4.42

36.88%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.26 $4.26

14.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.77 $12.77

50.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.75 $11.75

60.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.10 $17.10

36.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.98 $4.98

20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.59 $1.59

21.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.37 $4.37

20.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.80 $4.80

36.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.80 $2.80

29.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.89 $2.89

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.17 $2.17

28.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.23 $2.23

12.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.93 $9.93

22.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.15 $15.15

-2.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 $1.96

115.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.39 $3.39

70.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.94 $1.94

52.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.69 $2.69

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.76 $1.76

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.51 $26.51

12.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.6K $27.6K

29.97%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.1K $24.1K

8.96%

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

$302 $302

$200 $200

51.09%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$57.6 $57.6

21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$69.2 $69.2

23.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$44.72 $44.72

74.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.41 $14.41

23.80%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,388 $1,388

114.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

31.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.0 $54.0

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$41.64 $41.64

29.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$89.1 $89.1

43.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$115 $115

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$615 $615

297.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$445 $445

337.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,150 $1,150

312.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$789 $789

339.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,036 $3,036

142.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,696 $2,696

90.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,953 $2,953

120.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Opelousas, LA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Opelousas, LA

$445 26% 77.2% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Opelousas, LA

$390 22.8% 28.5% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Opelousas, LA

$327 19.1% 28.6% $131

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Opelousas, LA

$321 18.8% 19.7% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Opelousas, LA

$135 7.9% 29.1% $55

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Opelousas, LA

$19 * 1.1% 85.1% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Opelousas, LA

$74 4.3% 35.2% $40

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 $615 in Opelousas, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 120% 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 $74.0 in Opelousas, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $390 per month, with Opelousas, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Opelousas, LA

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

23,222

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Opelousas, LA 3,190 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Opelousas, LA

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 Opelousas, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Opelousas, LA differ by about 121% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $1,710 including rent). Opelousas, LA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% 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 $615 in Opelousas, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,388 in Opelousas, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Opelousas, LA – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,710 in Opelousas, LA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Opelousas, LA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Opelousas, LA 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 Opelousas, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.