Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Pittsfield, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Pittsfield, MA: $2,591 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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 Pittsfield, MA
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Pittsfield, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Pittsfield, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,591

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Pittsfield, MA

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 Pittsfield, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,591 in Pittsfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Pittsfield, MA $2,591

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,509 in Pittsfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Pittsfield, MA $4,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,427 in Pittsfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Pittsfield, MA $6,427

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Pittsfield, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Pittsfield, MA 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.68 $17.68

43.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$95.8 $95.8

5.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.52 $13.52

9.17%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.09 $5.09

27.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.82 $2.82

13.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.82 $2.82

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.07 $5.07

57.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.22 $8.22

-1.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.08 $1.08

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.11 $4.11

28.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.54 $5.54

15.52%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.78 $4.78

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.23 $11.23

66.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.35 $14.35

30.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.72 $17.72

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.52 $6.52

-7.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.74 $1.74

12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.55 $6.55

-15.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.42 $5.42

20.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$6.68 $6.68

-47.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.45 $4.45

-26.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.06 $3.06

-8.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.58 $13.58

-8.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.66 $13.66

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.10 $2.10

99.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.14 $4.14

40.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

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

$27.9K $27.9K

31.96%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.28%

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

$308 $308

$273 $273

12.75%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$39.34 $39.34

75.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$84.0 $84.0

2.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$39.65 $39.65

92.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.26 $14.26

26.37%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,829 $1,829

50.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$30.2K $30.2K

1.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$56.3 $56.3

40.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.06 $39.06

39.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$78.5 $78.5

61.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$102 $102

55.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,575 $1,575

59.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,260 $1,260

53.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,517 $4,517

13.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,466 $3,466

2.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,002 $3,002

145.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,037 $3,037

64.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Pittsfield, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Pittsfield, MA

$1.3K 48.6% 35% $678

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Pittsfield, MA

$435 * 16.8% 20.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Pittsfield, MA

$396 15.3% 14.4% $67

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Pittsfield, MA

$307 11.9% 24.3% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Pittsfield, MA

$124 4.8% 34.2% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Pittsfield, MA

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Pittsfield, MA

$68 2.6% 39.4% $44

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 $1,575 in Pittsfield, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $96 in Pittsfield, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $435 per month, with Pittsfield, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Pittsfield, MA

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

43,927

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Pittsfield, MA 3,830 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Pittsfield, MA

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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 Pittsfield, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,591 in Pittsfield, MA, so Pittsfield, MA is about 32% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $3,887 in Pittsfield, MA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,575 in Pittsfield, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% 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 $2,591 in Pittsfield, MA – Pittsfield, MA is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,591 in Pittsfield, MA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Pittsfield, MA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Pittsfield, MA 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.