Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,744 a month against $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 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
297

Cost of Living Index in Saint John Island
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Saint John Island Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Saint John Island

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$6,201

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Saint John Island

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 John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $6,201 in Saint John Island.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Saint John Island $6,201

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $8,382 in Saint John Island.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Saint John Island $8,382

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $10.6K in Saint John Island.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Saint John Island $10.6K

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 40% less than in Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Saint John Island 363% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$69.9 $69.9

-64.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$150 $150

-33.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$15.14 $15.14

1.06%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$9.16 $9.16

-27.73%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$3.41 $3.41

-4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.48 $3.48

-10.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.13 $5.13

51.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.87 $6.87

15.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$3.15 $3.15

-61.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$7.96 $7.96

-37.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$12.02 $12.02

-48.67%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$12.07 $12.07

-58.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$32.43 $32.43

-41.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$33.00 $33.00

-43.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$24.11 $24.11

-4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$21.82 $21.82

-72.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.91 $3.91

-50.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$17.29 $17.29

-69.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$11.89 $11.89

-44.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$7.74 $7.74

-53.23%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$7.86 $7.86

-59.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.95 $4.95

-41.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.55 $3.55

-32.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$8.86 $8.86

39.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$23.36 $23.36

-35.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.58 $4.58

-6.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$6.17 $6.17

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$7.15 $7.15

-57.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$149 $149

-26.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$30.31 $30.31

-91.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$50.2 $50.2

-40.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$47.1K $47.1K

-22.05%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$52.2K $52.2K

-50.82%

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

$299 $299

$297 $297

0.93%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$98.4 $98.4

-29.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$101 $101

-11.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

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

$2,986 $2,986

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$80.4 $80.4

-3.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$49.69 $49.69

10.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$84.9 $84.9

48.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$100 $100

64.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$4,020 $4,020

-40.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$3,511 $3,511

-44.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$5,081 $5,081

-5.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$4,566 $4,566

-22.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,412 $4,412

42.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

-2.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Saint John Island

$3.5K 57.3% 78.9% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Saint John Island

$987 16.1% 82.4% $446

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Saint John Island

$496 8.1% 8.1% $37

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Saint John Island

$781 12.8% 94.4% $379

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Saint John Island

$142 2.3% 25.6% $49

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Saint John Island

$208 * 3.4% 57.1% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Saint John Island

- * 0% 100%

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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $4,020 in Saint John Island. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $150 in Saint John Island for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $987 per month, with Seattle, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇻🇮 Saint John Island

🕒 Local time

01:51 1:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

4,170

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Saint John Island 6,100 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Saint John Island. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $4,020 in Saint John Island. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Saint John Island. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $6,201 in Saint John Island – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 work as nomad bases, but Seattle, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,744 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seattle, WA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Saint John Island 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 Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Saint John Island. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.