Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Oxnard, CA: $3,228 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in Oxnard, CA
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Oxnard, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Oxnard, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,228 in Oxnard, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Oxnard, CA $3,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,261 in Oxnard, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Oxnard, CA $4,261

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,294 in Oxnard, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Oxnard, CA $5,294

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 17% more expensive than in Oxnard, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Oxnard, CA 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.99 $19.99

26.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.4 $64.4

56.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.58 $11.58

27.46%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.63 $5.63

15.45%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.79 $2.79

15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.97 $1.97

59.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.16 $8.16

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.69 $9.69

-16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.15 $1.15

1.74%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.62 $5.62

-5.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.25 $4.25

50.59%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.14 $5.14

-1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.10 $12.10

54.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$20.28 $20.28

-7.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$14.00 $14.00

63.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.36 $4.36

38.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.80 $1.80

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.15 $4.15

32.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.41 $6.41

1.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.50 $3.50

-0.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.96 $1.96

67.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.28 $2.28

22.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 $2.22

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.14 $10.14

23.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.90 $14.90

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.09 $3.09

87.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.49 $1.49

104.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.40 $4.40

-41.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.85 $1.85

-11.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$35.57 $35.57

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.31 $1.31

7.63%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

30.68%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.55%

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

$308 $308

$129 $129

138.57%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$53.1 $53.1

30.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.1 $71.1

21.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$61.1 $61.1

25.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.22 $12.22

47.46%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,193 $1,193

130.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$43.4K $43.4K

-29.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$37.69 $37.69

110.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.48 $41.48

30.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$59.0 $59.0

114.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$78.5 $78.5

102.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,995 $1,995

25.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,970 $1,970

-1.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,301 $3,301

55.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,491 $2,491

42.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,864 $5,864

25.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$5,771 $5,771

-13.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,452 $3,452

87.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.1

12.95%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Oxnard, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Oxnard, CA

$2K 61% 1.6% $32

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Oxnard, CA

$461 14.3% 15.7% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Oxnard, CA

$253 7.8% 45.3% $210

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Oxnard, CA

$341 10.6% 16% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Oxnard, CA

$97 3% 48.3% $91

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Oxnard, CA

$20 * 0.6% 84.8% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Oxnard, CA

$86 2.7% 24% $27

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 $1,995 in Oxnard, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $64 in Oxnard, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $461 per month, with Oxnard, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Oxnard, CA

🕒 Local time

05:44 5:44 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

207,254

💱 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 Oxnard, CA 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Oxnard, CA is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% 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 $1,995 in Oxnard, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,228 in Oxnard, CA – Oxnard, CA is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Oxnard, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Oxnard, CA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.