Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Rockville, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockville, MD: $3,247 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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
157

Cost of Living Index in Rockville, MD
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Rockville, MD Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Rockville, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Rockville, MD

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,247 in Rockville, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Rockville, MD $3,247

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,701 in Rockville, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Rockville, MD $4,701

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,154 in Rockville, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Rockville, MD $6,154

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 17% more expensive than in Rockville, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Rockville, MD 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.62 $22.62

11.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$74.7 $74.7

35.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.19 $10.19

44.85%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.31 $5.31

22.41%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.42 $2.42

32.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.77 $1.77

77.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.63 $6.63

20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.47 $7.47

8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.98 $2.98

77.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.66 $2.66

140.60%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.81 $3.81

32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.75 $9.75

91.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.32 $9.32

100.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.29 $18.29

25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.74 $4.74

27.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 $1.27

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.38 $4.38

25.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.87 $3.87

68.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.60 $2.60

34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.46 $2.46

33.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.59 $2.59

8.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.80 $1.80

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.00 $14.00

-10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.48 $14.48

2.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.41 $2.41

73.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.76 $3.76

54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.16 $3.16

-3.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$110 $110

-3.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.05 $5.05

-48.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.11 $1.11

47.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.29 $23.29

29.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.07 $1.07

31.78%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.3K $34.3K

7.38%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.06%

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

$308 $308

$297 $297

3.42%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.7 $50.7

36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$60.6 $60.6

41.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$42.82 $42.82

78.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$12.46 $12.46

184.91%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.64 $16.64

8.29%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,934 $1,934

41.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$27.7K $27.7K

10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$46.01 $46.01

72.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.71 $39.71

36.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.5 $88.5

43.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$133 $133

19.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,213 $2,213

13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,791 $1,791

8.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,763 $3,763

35.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,061 $3,061

15.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,172 $4,172

76.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,976 $2,976

68.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,378 $6,378

1.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rockville, MD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Rockville, MD

$1.8K 55.2% 7.6% $147

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Rockville, MD

$359 11.1% 34.4% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Rockville, MD

$409 12.6% 11.7% $54

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Rockville, MD

$340 10.5% 16.3% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Rockville, MD

$138 4.3% 26.8% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Rockville, MD

$133 4.1% 3.4% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Rockville, MD

$76 2.3% 32.3% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,213 in Rockville, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $75 in Rockville, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $359 per month, with Rockville, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Rockville, MD

🕒 Local time

14:02 2:02 PM

17:02 5:02 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

67,139

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Rockville, MD 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Rockville, MD

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 Rockville, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rockville, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Rockville, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $4,870 in Rockville, MD to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,213 in Rockville, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rockville, MD – a meal for two runs $75 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Rockville, MD 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.