Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Plymouth, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Plymouth, MI: $2,507 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Plymouth, MI
Learn more

Plymouth, MI Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Plymouth, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,507

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Plymouth, MI

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 Plymouth, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,507 in Plymouth, MI.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Plymouth, MI $2,507

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,844 in Plymouth, MI.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Plymouth, MI $3,844

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,182 in Plymouth, MI.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Plymouth, MI $5,182

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Plymouth, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Plymouth, MI 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$12.69 $12.69

93.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$73.9 $73.9

32.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.10 $8.10

82.59%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.52 $5.52

18.12%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.02 $2.02

59.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.01 $1.01

213.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.96 $4.96

58.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.09 $4.09

96.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.83 $0.83

45.78%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.88 $2.88

78.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.50 $4.50

34.44%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.83 $2.83

72.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.10 $11.10

72.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.50 $17.50

8.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$34.41 $34.41

-32.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.35 $3.35

78.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.58 $1.58

22.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.63 $6.63

-20.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.54 $3.54

85.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$5.65 $5.65

-35.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.76 $5.76

-42.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.10 $2.10

32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.30 $2.30

9.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.90 $9.90

23.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$18.85 $18.85

-21.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.39 $2.39

76.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.98 $4.98

15.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.04 $2.04

44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.16 $3.16

-16.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.14 $3.14

-45.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$9.82 $9.82

202.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.00 $1.00

49.00%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.6K $30.6K

17.21%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.3K $25.3K

3.61%

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

$302 $302

$235 $235

28.65%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$63.7 $63.7

10.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$52.2 $52.2

63.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.66 $40.66

91.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.29 $12.29

45.16%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$659 $659

350.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

23.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.9 $54.9

39.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$49.14 $49.14

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$82.8 $82.8

54.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$120 $120

37.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,574 $1,574

55.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,204 $1,204

61.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,374 $2,374

99.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,301 $2,301

50.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,752 $2,752

167.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,336 $2,336

119.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,777 $4,777

36.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.56

5.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Plymouth, MI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Plymouth, MI

$1.2K 48% 38.1% $743

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Plymouth, MI

$485 19.3% 11.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Plymouth, MI

$351 14% 23.3% $107

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Plymouth, MI

$237 9.5% 40.7% $163

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Plymouth, MI

$138 5.5% 27.6% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Plymouth, MI

$27 * 1.1% 79.1% $102

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Plymouth, MI

$65 2.6% 42.5% $48

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,574 in Plymouth, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 36% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $74.0 in Plymouth, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $485 per month, with Plymouth, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Plymouth, MI

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

04:11 4:11 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

61,217

💱 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 Plymouth, MI 3,080 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Plymouth, MI

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 Plymouth, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plymouth, MI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,574 in Plymouth, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $659 in Plymouth, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Plymouth, MI – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Plymouth, MI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Plymouth, MI is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Plymouth, MI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Plymouth, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.