Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Riverside, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Riverside, CA: $3,339 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Riverside, CA
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Riverside, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Riverside, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,339 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Riverside, CA $3,339

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,589 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Riverside, CA $4,589

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,839 in Riverside, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Riverside, CA $5,839

Seattle, WA costs about 13% more than Riverside, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Riverside, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Riverside, CA by 145%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.34 $25.34

-0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.0 $76.0

32.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.89 $14.89

-0.87%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.91 $5.91

9.98%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.06 $3.06

4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.35 $2.35

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.05 $7.05

13.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.80 $9.80

-17.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.32 $1.32

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.28 $5.28

0.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.78 $4.78

33.89%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.92 $5.92

-14.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.02 $16.02

16.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.02 $9.02

107.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$21.22 $21.22

7.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.68 $4.68

29.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.81 $1.81

7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.07 $4.07

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.89 $4.89

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.35 $3.35

4.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.85 $2.85

15.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.10 $2.10

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.06 $2.06

25.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.91 $11.91

4.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.75 $14.75

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.19 $2.19

91.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.18 $3.18

82.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.80 $1.80

69.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$59.8 $59.8

77.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$27.62 $27.62

9.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.46 $1.46

-3.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.1K $29.1K

26.31%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.10%

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

$308 $308

$214 $214

43.48%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$71.7 $71.7

-3.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.8 $71.8

19.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$38.34 $38.34

99.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.19 $20.19

75.83%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$20.17 $20.17

-10.66%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,170 $1,170

134.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$36.4K $36.4K

-16.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$63.4 $63.4

24.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$48.10 $48.10

12.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$106 $106

19.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$102 $102

55.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,126 $2,126

17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,847 $1,847

4.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,249 $3,249

57.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,562 $2,562

38.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,152 $4,152

77.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,469 $3,469

44.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,996 $3,996

61.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.31

9.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Riverside, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Riverside, CA

$1.8K 55.3% 4.7% $91

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Riverside, CA

$436 13.1% 20.2% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Riverside, CA

$358 10.7% 22.7% $105

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Riverside, CA

$395 11.8% 2.8% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Riverside, CA

$144 4.3% 23.8% $45

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Riverside, CA

$80 2.4% 37.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Riverside, CA

$79 2.4% 30.1% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,126 in Riverside, CA. 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 62% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $76 in Riverside, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $436 – making Riverside, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Riverside, CA

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

320,000

💱 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 Riverside, CA 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Riverside, 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 Riverside, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 13% more than Riverside, CA, 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 $5,008 in Riverside, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Riverside, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,126 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $76 in Riverside, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,339 in Riverside, CA. That makes Riverside, CA about 12% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,339 in Riverside, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Riverside, CA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Riverside, CA. 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.