Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth, OH: $1,880 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, OH
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Portsmouth, OH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Portsmouth, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$1,880

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Portsmouth, OH $1,880

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,622 in Portsmouth, OH.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Portsmouth, OH $2,622

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,364 in Portsmouth, OH.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Portsmouth, OH $3,364

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 101% more expensive than in Portsmouth, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Portsmouth, OH 38% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.26 $14.26

77.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$40.14 $40.14

151.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.94 $7.94

85.89%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.99 $3.99

62.91%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.19 $2.19

46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.64 $1.64

91.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$10.14 $10.14

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$12.17 $12.17

-33.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.79 $0.79

48.10%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.71 $2.71

95.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.76 $3.76

70.21%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.20 $2.20

130.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.79 $10.79

73.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$24.53 $24.53

-23.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$9.45 $9.45

142.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.81 $5.81

4.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 $1.94

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.21 $7.21

-23.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.30 $5.30

23.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.66 $2.66

31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.78 $1.78

84.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.51 $1.51

85.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.73 $2.73

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.81 $9.81

27.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$19.76 $19.76

-24.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.78 $1.78

135.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.41 $3.41

70.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.03 $2.03

50.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$68.3 $68.3

55.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.75 $1.75

-6.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.04 $30.04

0.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.74 $0.74

90.54%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

30.76%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.47%

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

$308 $308

$205 $205

49.82%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.6 $50.6

36.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$57.7 $57.7

49.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.15 $41.15

85.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.19 $14.19

26.99%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$530 $530

417.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$6,488 $6,488

371.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$30.43 $30.43

160.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$24.84 $24.84

118.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$57.6 $57.6

120.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$572 $572

338.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$583 $583

232.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$766 $766

568.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$695 $695

409.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,766 $2,766

166.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,410 $2,410

107.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$1,591 $1,591

306.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.74

2.23%

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, OH: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Portsmouth, OH

$583 31% 69.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Portsmouth, OH

$444 23.6% 18.8% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Portsmouth, OH

$314 16.7% 32.2% $149

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Portsmouth, OH

$276 14.7% 32% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Portsmouth, OH

$105 5.6% 44.2% $83

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Portsmouth, OH

$88 4.7% 31.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Portsmouth, OH

$70 3.7% 38.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $572 in Portsmouth, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $40 in Portsmouth, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $444 per month, with Portsmouth, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, OH

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

95,535

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Portsmouth, OH 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Portsmouth, OH

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, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth, OH is about 50% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 4.1 times higher, 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 $572 in Portsmouth, OH. 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 $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH – Portsmouth, OH is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Portsmouth, OH runs roughly 36% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,880 in Portsmouth, OH versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth, OH but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth, OH the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Portsmouth, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.