Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saint Charles, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,184 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, MO
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Saint Charles, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Saint Charles, MO

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 Saint Charles, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Saint Charles, MO $2,184

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,474 in Saint Charles, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Saint Charles, MO $3,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,763 in Saint Charles, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Saint Charles, MO $4,763

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 73% more expensive than in Saint Charles, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Saint Charles, MO 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.80 $14.80

65.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$60.0 $60.0

63.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.83 $11.83

25.02%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.84 $4.84

34.71%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.61 $2.61

23.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.85 $1.85

71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.06 $5.06

55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.15 $6.15

30.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.75 $0.75

61.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.60 $2.60

97.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.27 $6.27

-3.51%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.12 $3.12

56.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$9.38 $9.38

104.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$6.51 $6.51

190.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$24.11 $24.11

-3.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.71 $3.71

61.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.16 $2.16

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$10.18 $10.18

-48.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.12 $5.12

28.32%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.71 $3.71

-10.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.11 $2.11

31.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.16 $2.16

16.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.14 $11.14

9.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.02 $12.02

23.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.89 $1.89

123.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.57 $2.57

124.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.90 $4.90

-39.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.05 $3.05

-13.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.69 $1.69

1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$49.89 $49.89

-40.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.5K $27.5K

30.38%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.45%

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

$302 $302

$334 $334

-9.75%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$61.0 $61.0

14.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.5 $75.5

12.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$49.26 $49.26

58.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.93 $11.93

49.54%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$980 $980

203.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$68.9 $68.9

11.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$42.64 $42.64

26.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$78.6 $78.6

62.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$160 $160

2.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,479 $1,479

65.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$790 $790

146.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,970 $1,970

140.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,917 $1,917

80.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,223 $4,223

54.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.58

4.71%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Saint Charles, MO

$790 36.2% 59.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Saint Charles, MO

$393 18% 27.9% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Saint Charles, MO

$471 21.6% 3% $14

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Saint Charles, MO

$267 12.3% 33.1% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Saint Charles, MO

$158 7.2% 17.1% $33

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Saint Charles, MO

$31 * 1.4% 75.9% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Saint Charles, MO

$73 3.4% 35.6% $40

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 54% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $60.0 in Saint Charles, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $393 per month, with Saint Charles, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

70,329

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Saint Charles, MO 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Saint Charles, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Saint Charles, MO differ by about 73% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,184 including rent). Saint Charles, MO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Saint Charles, MO 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Saint Charles, MO are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Saint Charles, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.