Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, ME: $3,262 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Portland, ME

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 Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,262 in Portland, ME.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Portland, ME $3,262

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,710 in Portland, ME.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Portland, ME $4,710

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,158 in Portland, ME.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Portland, ME $6,158

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Portland, ME 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.87 $24.87

1.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$120 $120

-16.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.86 $14.86

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.12 $6.12

6.21%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.01 $3.01

6.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.47 $2.47

27.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.05 $8.05

-0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.04 $8.04

1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.10 $1.10

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.64 $4.64

14.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$8.56 $8.56

-25.23%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.92 $3.92

29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.77 $18.77

-0.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.33 $10.33

81.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.45 $16.45

39.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.63 $4.63

30.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.70 $1.70

14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.85 $5.85

-5.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.84 $6.84

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$6.36 $6.36

-45.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.80 $3.80

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.19 $3.19

-12.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.12 $12.12

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.06 $15.06

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.88 $1.88

122.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.54 $2.54

128.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$60.5 $60.5

75.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.02 $2.02

27.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$10.80 $10.80

178.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 $1.04

35.58%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.56%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.82%

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

$308 $308

$224 $224

37.47%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.5 $69.5

-0.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.4 $76.4

12.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$51.8 $51.8

47.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$39.22 $39.22

-9.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.96 $13.96

29.08%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,263 $1,263

117.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$52.7 $52.7

50.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$81.2 $81.2

-33.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

24.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$133 $133

19.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,102 $2,102

19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,703 $1,703

13.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,156 $3,156

62.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,524 $2,524

40.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,509 $5,509

33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,978 $3,978

25.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,598 $4,598

40.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.5

6.00%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2% 12.1% $235

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Portland, ME

$470 14.4% 14.1% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Portland, ME

$370 11.3% 20.1% $93

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Portland, ME

$395 12.1% 2.7% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Portland, ME

$166 5.1% 12.1% $23

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Portland, ME

$78 2.4% 39.3% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Portland, ME

$80 2.4% 29.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,102 in Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $120 in Portland, ME. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $470, with Portland, ME cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

14:38 2:38 PM

17:38 5:38 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

652,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Portland, ME 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,262 in Portland, ME, so Portland, ME is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $2,102 in Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,262 in Portland, ME – Portland, ME is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Portland, ME runs roughly 43% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Portland, ME 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 – Portland, ME wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.