Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Rutland, VT

For one person, living is cheaper in Rutland, VT: $2,352 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Rutland, VT
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Rutland, VT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Rutland, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Rutland, VT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,352 in Rutland, VT.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Rutland, VT $2,352

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,163 in Rutland, VT.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Rutland, VT $4,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,974 in Rutland, VT.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Rutland, VT $5,974

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 61% more expensive than in Rutland, VT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Rutland, VT 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.95 $19.95

26.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.5 $98.5

2.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.74 $14.74

0.14%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.99 $3.99

62.91%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.62 $2.62

22.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.01 $1.01

210.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.02 $6.02

32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$10.34 $10.34

-21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.82 $0.82

42.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.23 $2.23

137.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.73 $6.73

-4.90%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.05 $4.05

24.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$6.65 $6.65

181.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.37 $13.37

40.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.52 $18.52

23.54%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.77 $4.77

27.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.37 $1.37

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.39 $4.39

25.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.38 $4.38

48.86%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.29 $3.29

6.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.16 $2.16

52.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.32 $2.32

20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.92 $8.92

40.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$8.81 $8.81

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.06 $2.06

103.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.96 $3.96

46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.28 $2.28

33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$56.6 $56.6

87.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.76 $4.76

-45.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.37 $1.37

19.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$15.13 $15.13

99.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

33.88%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.2K $22.2K

19.92%

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

$308 $308

$209 $209

47.10%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.6 $69.6

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$89.0 $89.0

-3.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.91 $37.91

101.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.09 $15.09

19.42%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,517 $1,517

81.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.1K $17.1K

78.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.6 $55.6

42.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.11 $39.11

38.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$112 $112

13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$106 $106

50.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,240 $1,240

102.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,011 $1,011

91.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,601 $2,601

96.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,944 $2,944

20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,577 $2,577

186.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,230 $2,230

124.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,927 $3,927

64.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.66

3.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rutland, VT: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Rutland, VT

$1K 43% 47.8% $927

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Rutland, VT

$371 15.8% 32.2% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Rutland, VT

$368 15.6% 20.6% $95

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Rutland, VT

$317 13.5% 22% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Rutland, VT

$140 6% 25.5% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Rutland, VT

$77 3.3% 40% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Rutland, VT

$68 2.9% 39.5% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,240 in Rutland, VT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $99 in Rutland, VT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $371 per month, with Rutland, VT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Rutland, VT

🕒 Local time

18:51 6:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

15,074

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Rutland, VT 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Rutland, VT

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 Rutland, VT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rutland, VT is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $1,240 in Rutland, VT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,352 in Rutland, VT – Rutland, VT is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Rutland, VT wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.