Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Plano, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Plano, TX: $2,661 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
129

Cost of Living Index in Plano, TX
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Plano, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Plano, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Plano, TX

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 Plano, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,661 in Plano, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Plano, TX $2,661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,976 in Plano, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Plano, TX $3,976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,292 in Plano, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Plano, TX $5,292

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Plano, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Plano, TX 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.20 $20.20

25.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$77.4 $77.4

30.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.19 $10.19

44.85%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.54 $5.54

17.33%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.66 $2.66

20.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.26 $2.26

38.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.77 $6.77

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.29 $7.29

11.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.26 $3.26

62.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.82 $4.82

32.78%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.71 $4.71

7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.19 $13.19

41.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.38 $11.38

64.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.23 $18.23

25.51%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.55 $4.55

33.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.59 $1.59

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.70 $2.70

104.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.03 $3.03

115.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.36 $2.36

47.88%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.61 $2.61

26.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.00 $2.00

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.84 $2.84

-9.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.19 $10.19

22.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.73 $15.73

-5.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.68 $1.68

149.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.39 $3.39

71.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.02 $3.02

0.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$124 $124

-14.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.95 $2.95

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.71 $1.71

-4.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.23 $15.23

97.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

35.86%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.24%

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

$308 $308

$194 $194

58.90%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$47.32 $47.32

46.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$54.9 $54.9

56.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.03 $37.03

106.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$4.04 $4.04

778.71%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.87 $14.87

21.18%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,166 $1,166

135.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

23.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$60.2 $60.2

31.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$38.77 $38.77

40.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.5 $84.5

50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$67.7 $67.7

134.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,606 $1,606

56.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,320 $1,320

46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,518 $2,518

103.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,320 $2,320

52.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,665 $2,665

176.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,294 $2,294

118.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,813 $5,813

11.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Plano, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Plano, TX

$1.3K 49.6% 31.9% $618

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Plano, TX

$391 14.7% 28.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Plano, TX

$296 11.1% 36.1% $167

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Plano, TX

$327 12.3% 19.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Plano, TX

$113 4.3% 40.1% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Plano, TX

$148 5.6% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Plano, TX

$67 2.5% 40.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,606 in Plano, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $77 in Plano, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $391 per month, with Plano, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Plano, TX

🕒 Local time

05:55 5:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

288,253

💱 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 Plano, TX 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Plano, TX

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 Plano, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plano, TX is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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 $1,606 in Plano, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,166 in Plano, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Plano, TX 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 – Plano, TX wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.