Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $33,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Portsmouth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 303% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 179% above, Portsmouth is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$5.50 EC$14.84

346.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$56.2 EC$152

76.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$6.83 EC$18.44

124.01%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$2.67 EC$7.20

147.94%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.19 EC$5.91

48.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.87 EC$5.05

66.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$2.53 EC$6.84

207.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.73 EC$10.07

112.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.86 EC$7.72

-57.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.23 EC$6.03

121.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.01 EC$5.43

206.97%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$6.50 EC$17.55

-23.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$2.66 EC$7.17

614.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$5.48 EC$14.80

241.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$7.21 EC$19.46

-17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.57 EC$6.93

-24.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.00 EC$10.81

29.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.14 EC$11.17

58.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.90 EC$7.84

24.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.78 EC$7.51

13.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.82 EC$4.91

59.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.90 EC$5.13

25.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.32 EC$30.56

32.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.87 EC$5.06

129.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.67 EC$7.20

113.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.75 EC$2.03

306.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.67 EC$9.90

-28.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.68 EC$9.93

-52.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

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

$36.7K $36.7K

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

$25.7K $25.7K

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

$299 $299

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

$69.7 $69.7

$40.78 EC$110

70.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$63.9 EC$172

41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$36.97 EC$99.8

116.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$11.11 EC$30.01

55.99%

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$55.9 EC$151

38.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$23.90 EC$64.5

129.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$56.0 EC$151

124.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$65.9 EC$178

150.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$258 EC$696

833.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$223 EC$602

779.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$670 EC$1,808

615.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$617 EC$1,667

476.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$626 EC$1,691

902.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 903% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $56.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $290 per month, with Portsmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

3,633

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

XCD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Portsmouth 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Portsmouth

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 303% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 903% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 303% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.