Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Port Arthur, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Arthur, TX: $2,634 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,634

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,634 in Port Arthur, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Port Arthur, TX $2,634

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,860 in Port Arthur, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Port Arthur, TX $3,860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,086 in Port Arthur, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Port Arthur, TX $5,086

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 44% more expensive than in Port Arthur, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Port Arthur, TX 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.63 $18.63

35.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$74.1 $74.1

36.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.20 $11.20

31.79%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.96 $4.96

31.05%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.55 $2.55

25.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.94 $1.94

61.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.15 $6.15

29.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.94 $6.94

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.43 $3.43

54.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.32 $4.32

48.15%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.03 $4.03

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.42 $12.42

50.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.57 $11.57

61.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.59 $15.59

46.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.86 $4.86

24.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.61 $1.61

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.26 $4.26

29.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.69 $4.69

39.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.90 $2.90

20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.90 $2.90

13.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.11 $2.11

32.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.18 $2.18

18.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.43 $9.43

32.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.75 $13.75

8.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.77 $1.77

136.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.29 $3.29

76.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.02 $2.02

50.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$66.3 $66.3

59.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.52 $3.52

-26.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.60 $1.60

2.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.41 $29.41

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.85 $0.85

65.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.1K $30.1K

22.44%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.31%

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

$308 $308

$190 $190

61.49%

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

$66.2 $66.2

29.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$43.60 $43.60

75.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.73 $13.73

31.25%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,279 $1,279

114.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.4K $23.4K

30.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.2 $50.2

57.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.34 $39.34

38.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.8 $86.8

46.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$113 $113

40.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,625 $1,625

54.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,346 $1,346

44.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,594 $2,594

97.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,244 $2,244

57.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,790 $2,790

164.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,405 $2,405

107.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

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 Port Arthur, 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%

Port Arthur, TX

$1.3K 51.1% 30.6% $593

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Port Arthur, TX

$387 14.7% 29.3% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Port Arthur, TX

$310 11.8% 33.1% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Port Arthur, TX

$305 11.6% 25% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5% 30.9% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Port Arthur, TX

$86 3.3% 33.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Port Arthur, TX

$71 2.7% 36.8% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $74 in Port Arthur, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $387 per month, with Port Arthur, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🕒 Local time

13:50 1:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

54,135

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Port Arthur, TX 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Port Arthur, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Arthur, 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.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $3,951 in Port Arthur, TX 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 $1,625 in Port Arthur, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,279 in Port Arthur, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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. Port Arthur, 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.

Expats usually find Port Arthur, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.