Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portland, OR: $3,305 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 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
160

Cost of Living Index in Portland, OR
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Portland, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Portland, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$3,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,305 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Portland, OR $3,305

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,993 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Portland, OR $4,993

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,680 in Portland, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Portland, OR $6,680

Seattle, WA costs about 14% more than Portland, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Seattle, WA and Portland, OR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Portland, OR by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$24.60 $24.60

-0.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$89.5 $89.5

9.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.83 $12.83

15.28%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.01 $6.01

8.49%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.42 $2.42

33.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.94 $1.94

63.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.15 $8.15

-3.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.98 $7.98

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.16 $1.16

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.76 $4.76

7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.87 $4.87

24.23%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.38 $5.38

-9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$18.76 $18.76

2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$19.14 $19.14

-1.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$28.65 $28.65

-18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.81 $6.81

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.03 $2.03

-4.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.94 $5.94

-11.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$8.94 $8.94

-26.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.76 $2.76

31.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.31 $2.31

43.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.32 $3.32

-16.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.59 $2.59

-3.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.29 $11.29

7.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.12 $15.12

-1.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.45 $3.45

22.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.15 $5.15

12.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.86 $2.86

3.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$99.6 $99.6

6.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.91 $4.91

-46.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.92 $1.92

-10.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$23.74 $23.74

25.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.26 $1.26

18.25%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.6K $33.6K

6.86%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.57%

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

$302 $302

$312 $312

-3.28%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$63.0 $63.0

11.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$69.0 $69.0

23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$63.1 $63.1

23.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$30.17 $30.17

14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.71 $14.71

21.28%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,731 $1,731

71.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.6K $24.6K

27.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$64.9 $64.9

17.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.37 $42.37

27.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$115 $115

11.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$131 $131

24.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,972 $1,972

23.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,535 $1,535

26.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,489 $3,489

35.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,813 $2,813

23.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,837 $3,837

92.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$3,407 $3,407

50.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,690 $4,690

38.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Portland, OR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Portland, OR

$1.5K 46.4% 21.2% $412

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Portland, OR

$568 17.2% 4.1% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Portland, OR

$444 13.4% 2.9% $13

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Portland, OR

$382 11.5% 4.5% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Portland, OR

$159 4.8% 16.4% $31

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Portland, OR

$126 3.8% 2.8% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Portland, OR

$92 2.8% 18.5% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,972 in Portland, OR. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $89.0 in Portland, OR. Groceries tell a different story – $546 in Seattle, WA vs $568 in Portland, OR – so Seattle, WA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Portland, OR

🕒 Local time

17:09 5:09 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

652,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Portland, OR 230 km

From you

Seattle, WA
Portland, OR

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 Portland, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $3,305 in Portland, OR – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,958 in Portland, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portland, OR, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,305 in Portland, OR. That's a gap of about 14%.

Public transport costs about 7% less in Portland, OR. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $3,305 in Portland, OR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,305 in Portland, OR to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Portland, OR. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.