Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Raleigh, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Raleigh, NC: $2,666 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Raleigh, NC

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Raleigh, NC $2,666

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,913 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Raleigh, NC $3,913

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,159 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Raleigh, NC $5,159

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Raleigh, NC sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Raleigh, NC by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$23.68 $23.68

3.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$98.9 $98.9

0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.92 $10.92

40.11%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.80 $5.80

14.14%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.88 $2.88

12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.21 $2.21

40.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.09 $6.09

27.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$7.10 $7.10

11.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.92 $0.92

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.85 $3.85

28.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.10 $3.10

99.03%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.70 $4.70

5.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$15.26 $15.26

24.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$9.82 $9.82

90.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$18.08 $18.08

27.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.54 $6.54

-9.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.25 $1.25

55.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.58 $4.58

13.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$5.90 $5.90

11.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.01 $3.01

20.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.65 $3.65

-13.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.08 $2.08

39.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.23 $2.23

6.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$9.60 $9.60

28.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.94 $14.94

0.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.22 $2.22

93.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.73 $2.73

108.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.39 $1.39

119.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$40.65 $40.65

167.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.99 $2.99

-11.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.94 $1.94

-10.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$18.35 $18.35

63.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.97 $0.97

50.52%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.3K $36.3K

1.30%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

2.77%

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

$299 $299

$193 $193

55.28%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$57.0 $57.0

22.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$67.1 $67.1

34.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$36.25 $36.25

120.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$5.10 $5.10

598.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$15.28 $15.28

13.42%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$1,463 $1,463

104.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.2K $24.2K

29.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$53.5 $53.5

45.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$58.9 $58.9

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$92.6 $92.6

36.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$142 $142

16.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,750 $1,750

37.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,298 $1,298

51.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$3,055 $3,055

56.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,028 $2,028

75.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,971 $3,971

87.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,149 $2,149

133.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,299 $4,299

46.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.61

3.63%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7% 33.9% $665

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5% 23.5% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9% 31% $142

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4% 11.2% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9% 18.1% $35

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2% 55.4% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5% 41.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,750 in Raleigh, NC. 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 46% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $99.0 in Raleigh, NC. Groceries tell a different story – $541 in Seattle, WA vs $414 in Raleigh, NC – so Raleigh, NC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

431,746

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Raleigh, NC 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Raleigh, NC, 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 $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,998 in Raleigh, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 167% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,986 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,463 in Raleigh, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,666 in Raleigh, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Raleigh, NC costs $2,666 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Raleigh, NC. 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.