Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Oregon City, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Oregon City, OR: $2,526 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Oregon City, OR
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Oregon City, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Oregon City, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,526

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Oregon City, OR

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 Oregon City, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,526 in Oregon City, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Oregon City, OR $2,526

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,754 in Oregon City, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Oregon City, OR $3,754

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,983 in Oregon City, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Oregon City, OR $4,983

Seattle, WA costs about 48% more than Oregon City, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Oregon City, OR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Oregon City, OR by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.01 $19.01

29.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$75.9 $75.9

31.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$11.19 $11.19

36.73%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.15 $5.15

28.54%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.61 $2.61

24.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.96 $1.96

58.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.11 $6.11

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.91 $6.91

14.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.01 $1.01

19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.61 $3.61

36.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.21 $4.21

46.56%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.25 $4.25

16.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$12.21 $12.21

55.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.21 $11.21

66.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$15.50 $15.50

49.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.88 $4.88

21.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.64 $1.64

18.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.22 $4.22

22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.67 $4.67

40.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.87 $2.87

26.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.88 $2.88

9.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.02 $2.02

44.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.20 $2.20

8.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$9.62 $9.62

28.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.10 $14.10

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.78 $1.78

141.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.30 $3.30

72.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.95 $1.95

56.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.40 $3.40

-22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.61 $1.61

8.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$28.64 $28.64

4.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.90 $0.90

62.22%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$29.3K $29.3K

25.32%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.19%

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

$299 $299

$186 $186

60.94%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$53.3 $53.3

30.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$67.2 $67.2

34.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$42.17 $42.17

89.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$13.36 $13.36

29.72%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$1,307 $1,307

128.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.0K $23.0K

36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$50.0 $50.0

55.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$40.30 $40.30

36.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$86.4 $86.4

45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$111 $111

49.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,628 $1,628

47.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,355 $1,355

44.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,601 $2,601

84.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,214 $2,214

60.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,784 $2,784

166.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,473 $2,473

102.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.51

5.22%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Oregon City, OR: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Oregon City, OR

$1.4K 52.6% 31% $608

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Oregon City, OR

$386 15% 28.6% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Oregon City, OR

$306 11.9% 33.3% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Oregon City, OR

$310 12% 22.8% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Oregon City, OR

$129 5% 32.1% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Oregon City, OR

$19 * 0.8% 85.4% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Oregon City, OR

$69 2.7% 39.9% $46

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 $1,628 in Oregon City, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $76.0 in Oregon City, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $386 – making Oregon City, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Oregon City, OR

🕒 Local time

02:54 2:54 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

37,572

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Oregon City, OR 250 km

From you

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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 Oregon City, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 48% more than Oregon City, OR, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,789 in Oregon City, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,526 in Oregon City, OR. That's a gap of about 48%.

Kindergarten costs $2,986 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,307 in Oregon City, OR. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,526 in Oregon City, OR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Oregon City, OR costs $2,526 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Oregon City, OR. 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.