Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Palm Springs, CA: $2,926 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
Learn more

Palm Springs, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Palm Springs, CA $2,926

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,653 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Palm Springs, CA $4,653

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,380 in Palm Springs, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Palm Springs, CA $6,380

Seattle, WA costs about 30% more than Palm Springs, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Palm Springs, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Palm Springs, CA by 117%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$30.42 $30.42

-16.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$75.2 $75.2

34.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.91 $9.91

49.85%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.50 $5.50

19.82%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.78 $2.78

15.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.58 $1.58

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.89 $4.89

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.76 $5.76

39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.33 $1.33

-9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.81 $3.81

34.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.93 $2.93

115.02%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$5.81 $5.81

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$14.03 $14.03

36.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$13.48 $13.48

37.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$12.53 $12.53

83.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.02 $5.02

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.25 $2.25

-13.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.41 $4.41

19.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.85 $4.85

33.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.59 $4.59

-22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.18 $4.18

-24.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.15 $2.15

32.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.28 $2.28

6.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.83 $11.83

7.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.74 $13.74

9.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.67 $1.67

149.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.68 $2.68

123.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.73 $1.73

75.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$33.40 $33.40

229.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.36 $3.36

-24.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.81 $1.81

-9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$23.53 $23.53

25.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.37 $1.37

3.65%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$33.5K $33.5K

6.75%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

-2.35%

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

$299 $299

$246 $246

21.72%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$79.7 $79.7

-11.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$65.7 $65.7

34.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$32.53 $32.53

144.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$50.1 $50.1

-29.33%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$12.13 $12.13

41.14%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$541 $541

457.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$8,450 $8,450

274.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$31.22 $31.22

147.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$34.74 $34.74

58.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$70.9 $70.9

77.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$140 $140

16.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,877 $1,877

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,496 $1,496

30.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,686 $3,686

27.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$3,207 $3,207

10.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,980 $4,980

47.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,329 $3,329

51.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,813 $4,813

30.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.68

2.54%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.1% 23.5% $460

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$413 14.1% 23.7% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.4% 14.6% $67

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Palm Springs, CA

$392 13.4% 3.9% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.3% 34.2% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$53 1.8% 60.3% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Palm Springs, CA

$57 1.9% 50.1% $57

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,877 in Palm Springs, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 31% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $75.0 in Palm Springs, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $413 – making Palm Springs, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

22:42 10:42 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,575

💱 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 Palm Springs, CA 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 30% more than Palm Springs, CA, 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 $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,390 in Palm Springs, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Palm Springs, CA, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA. That's a gap of about 30%.

Public transport costs about 230% less in Palm Springs, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Palm Springs, CA costs $2,926 versus $3,800 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 Palm Springs, CA. 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.