Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Orem, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Orem, UT: $2,457 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,900 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
119

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Orem, UT

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 Orem, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,457 in Orem, UT.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Orem, UT $2,457

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,366 in Orem, UT.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Orem, UT $3,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,274 in Orem, UT.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Orem, UT $4,274

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 54% more expensive than in Orem, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Orem, UT 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.05 $15.05

68.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.1 $61.1

65.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.14 $11.14

32.50%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.58 $4.58

41.92%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.81 $1.81

77.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.52 $1.52

106.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.83 $5.83

36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.86 $6.86

18.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.21 $3.21

65.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.42 $2.42

164.46%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.07 $3.07

64.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.09 $14.09

32.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.33 $13.33

40.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.84 $18.84

21.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.94 $2.94

106.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.58 $2.58

113.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.47 $4.47

45.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.29 $1.29

155.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.69 $1.69

65.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.93 $1.93

33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.50 $9.50

31.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.14 $15.14

-1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.17 $2.17

93.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.94 $2.94

97.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.57 $2.57

18.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$84.6 $84.6

25.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 $1.47

75.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.97 $0.97

69.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$20.11 $20.11

49.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.09 $1.09

29.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

44.71%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.66%

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

$308 $308

$167 $167

84.58%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$43.36 $43.36

59.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$60.7 $60.7

41.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$22.61 $22.61

238.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.11 $15.11

19.26%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$948 $948

189.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$9,866 $9,866

210.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.0 $54.0

46.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.64 $41.64

30.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.0 $84.0

50.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$132 $132

20.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,648 $1,648

52.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,261 $1,261

53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,210 $2,210

131.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,663 $1,663

113.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,717 $2,717

171.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,182 $2,182

129.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,677 $3,677

75.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.83

0.88%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Orem, UT: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Orem, UT

$1.3K 51.3% 35% $678

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Orem, UT

$366 * 14.9% 33% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Orem, UT

$271 11% 41.5% $192

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Orem, UT

$265 10.8% 34.8% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Orem, UT

$140 5.7% 25.7% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Orem, UT

$101 4.1% 21.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Orem, UT

$53 2.2% 53% $60

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,648 in Orem, UT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 76% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $61 in Orem, UT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $366 per month, with Orem, UT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🕒 Local time

02:19 2:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

98,129

💱 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 Orem, UT 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Orem, UT

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 Orem, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orem, UT is about 35% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 76% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,648 in Orem, UT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Orem, UT – a meal for two runs $61 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Orem, UT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.