Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saint Joseph, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI: $1,920 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MI
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Saint Joseph, MI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Saint Joseph, MI

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 Joseph, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Saint Joseph, MI $1,920

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,070 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Saint Joseph, MI $3,070

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,219 in Saint Joseph, MI, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Saint Joseph, MI $4,219

Seattle, WA costs about 97% more than Saint Joseph, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Saint Joseph, MI sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Saint Joseph, MI by 41%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$13.89 $13.89

82.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$73.9 $73.9

36.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.74 $8.74

68.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.01 $4.01

62.09%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.00 $3.00

7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.04 $2.04

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.91 $3.91

103.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$4.97 $4.97

63.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.81 $0.81

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.86 $2.86

85.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.96 $2.96

116.22%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.53 $3.53

43.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.85 $7.85

138.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.53 $10.53

77.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$8.36 $8.36

173.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.71 $5.71

6.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 $1.65

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.53 $3.53

56.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.39 $5.39

20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.75 $1.75

99.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.22 $3.22

2.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.63 $1.63

71.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.46 $2.46

4.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.15 $12.15

2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$8.21 $8.21

81.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.70 $1.70

146.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.30 $3.30

75.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.02 $2.02

50.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$53.9 $53.9

96.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.79 $1.79

-8.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.76 $29.76

1.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.80 $0.80

76.25%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$24.4K $24.4K

50.57%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.64%

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

$308 $308

$172 $172

79.24%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.1 $51.1

35.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$51.9 $51.9

65.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.52 $41.52

84.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$10.59 $10.59

70.16%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,521 $1,521

80.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.4K $23.4K

30.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$40.22 $40.22

96.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.07 $49.07

10.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$76.1 $76.1

66.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$75.6 $75.6

110.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,075 $1,075

133.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$842 $842

130.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,887 $1,887

171.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,791 $1,791

97.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,773 $2,773

165.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,380 $2,380

110.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,999 $4,999

29.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.43

7.15%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$842 43.9% 56.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Saint Joseph, MI

$323 16.8% 41% $224

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Saint Joseph, MI

$275 14.3% 40.7% $188

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Saint Joseph, MI

$235 12.3% 42.1% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Saint Joseph, MI

$108 5.7% 42.5% $80

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Saint Joseph, MI

$74 3.9% 42.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Saint Joseph, MI

$63 3.3% 44.3% $50

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,075 in Saint Joseph, MI. 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 29% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $74 in Saint Joseph, MI. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $323 – making Saint Joseph, MI the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MI

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,780

💱 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 Saint Joseph, MI 2,860 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Saint Joseph, MI

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 Joseph, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 97% more than Saint Joseph, MI, 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 $2,880 in Saint Joseph, MI. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Joseph, MI, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,075 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,920 in Saint Joseph, MI. That makes Saint Joseph, MI about 49% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 49% less in Saint Joseph, MI. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Saint Joseph, MI – 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 Saint Joseph, MI. 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.