Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Redwood City, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Redwood City, CA

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 Redwood City, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $4,197 in Redwood City, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Redwood City, CA $4,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $6,241 in Redwood City, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Redwood City, CA $6,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $8,286 in Redwood City, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Redwood City, CA $8,286

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 9% less than in Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Redwood City, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$25.04 $25.04

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$110 $110

-7.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.44 $13.44

10.49%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.64 $5.64

16.84%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.23 $3.23

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.65 $2.65

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.20 $8.20

-0.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.87 $8.87

-9.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.53 $1.53

-20.92%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.37 $5.37

-4.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.86 $4.86

29.63%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$7.74 $7.74

-36.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$15.07 $15.07

26.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.63 $10.63

74.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$19.61 $19.61

17.44%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.25 $6.25

-7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.85 $2.85

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.48 $4.48

18.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.22 $6.22

4.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.99 $2.99

19.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.65 $3.65

-13.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.78 $2.78

2.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.62 $2.62

-7.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.85 $11.85

7.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$20.28 $20.28

-26.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.64 $2.64

57.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.41 $3.41

75.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.78 $4.78

-36.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.25 $4.25

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.21 $1.21

35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$38.38 $38.38

-22.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.57 $1.57

-9.55%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.4K $37.4K

-4.46%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

-3.67%

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

$299 $299

$237 $237

26.08%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$53.7 $53.7

31.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$69.5 $69.5

26.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$239 $239

-66.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$29.93 $29.93

18.18%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$17.91 $17.91

-4.41%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$2,907 $2,907

3.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$43.0K $43.0K

-26.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$45.86 $45.86

68.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$25.04 $25.04

120.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$98.8 $98.8

27.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$114 $114

42.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$4,248 $4,248

-41.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$2,521 $2,521

-22.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$5,692 $5,692

-17.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$4,469 $4,469

-20.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$8,008 $8,008

-21.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.82

0.44%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1% 28.9% $565

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8% 8.9% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6% 21.3% $98

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3% 4.4% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Redwood City, CA

$128 3% 32.6% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7% 77.9% $104

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6% 142% $161

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redwood City, CA pays 27% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $110 in Redwood City, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $542 vs $493, with Redwood City, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

20:33 8:33 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

88,314

💱 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 Redwood City, CA 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Redwood City, CA

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 Redwood City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Redwood City, CA differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($3,800 vs $4,197 including rent). Seattle, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Redwood City, CA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $2,907 in Redwood City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $110 in Redwood City, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Redwood City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.