Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Portsmouth, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, NH: $2,763 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, NH
Learn more

Portsmouth, NH Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Portsmouth, NH $2,763

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,026 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Portsmouth, NH $4,026

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,289 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Portsmouth, NH $5,289

Seattle, WA costs about 37% more than Portsmouth, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Portsmouth, NH sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Portsmouth, NH by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.24 $20.24

25.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.96 $8.96

64.73%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.11 $4.11

58.15%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.64 $2.64

21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.53 $1.53

105.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.08 $7.08

12.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.33 $7.33

10.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.12 $5.12

3.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.12 $4.12

55.34%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.48 $3.48

45.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.17 $11.17

67.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.93 $12.93

44.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.86 $16.86

35.71%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.27 $5.27

14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.06 $2.06

-5.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.58 $4.58

20.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.35 $4.35

49.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.61 $1.61

116.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.62 $2.62

25.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.55 $2.55

9.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.00 $3.00

-14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.49 $13.49

-7.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.13 $16.13

-7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.04 $2.04

184.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.85 $5.85

-55.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$4.82 $4.82

-65.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.91 $0.91

54.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.0K $28.0K

31.62%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.88%

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

$308 $308

$192 $192

60.06%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.9 $52.9

30.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$52.5 $52.5

64.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$25.45 $25.45

200.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.37 $12.37

45.68%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$832 $832

229.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$33.8K $33.8K

-9.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$24.52 $24.52

222.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$37.34 $37.34

45.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$51.9 $51.9

144.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$81.0 $81.0

96.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,145 $2,145

16.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,570 $1,570

23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,185 $4,185

22.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,494 $2,494

42.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,895 $4,895

50.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,078 $3,078

62.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,986 $5,986

8.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.1

12.95%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.8% 19% $369

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Portsmouth, NH

$423 15.3% 22.6% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Portsmouth, NH

$298 10.8% 35.7% $165

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11% 25% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Portsmouth, NH

$88 3.2% 53.6% $101

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1% 76.8% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Portsmouth, NH

$50 1.8% 55.4% $62

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,145 in Portsmouth, NH. 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 8% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $102 in Portsmouth, NH. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $423 in Portsmouth, NH – so Portsmouth, NH wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🕒 Local time

04:04 4:04 AM

07:04 7:04 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

95,535

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Portsmouth, NH 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Portsmouth, NH

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, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 37% more than Portsmouth, NH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,145 in Portsmouth, NH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Portsmouth, NH, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,145 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH. That makes Portsmouth, NH about 27% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,763 in Portsmouth, NH. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Portsmouth, NH costs $2,763 versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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