Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MO: $2,485 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Saint Joseph, MO
Learn more

Saint Joseph, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,485

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Saint Joseph, 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 Joseph, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Saint Joseph, MO $2,485

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,629 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Saint Joseph, MO $3,629

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,773 in Saint Joseph, MO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Saint Joseph, MO $4,773

Seattle, WA costs about 52% more than Saint Joseph, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Saint Joseph, MO sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Saint Joseph, MO by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.25 $20.25

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$50.1 $50.1

95.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.79 $10.79

37.07%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.09 $5.09

28.09%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.14 $2.14

50.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.10 $1.10

188.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.92 $4.92

59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.61 $7.61

5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.89 $0.89

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.26 $3.26

57.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.10 $6.10

-0.82%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.67 $4.67

4.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.63 $11.63

64.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.39 $8.39

125.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.71 $14.71

58.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.98 $6.98

-14.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.16 $2.16

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.80 $5.80

-9.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.36 $4.36

50.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.42 $3.42

5.85%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.73 $3.73

-11.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.91 $1.91

45.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.53 $2.53

-0.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.74 $8.74

39.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.28 $17.28

-14.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.87 $1.87

125.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.45 $2.45

135.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.97 $1.97

49.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.10 $5.10

-48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.81 $1.81

-4.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$35.53 $35.53

-16.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.70%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

-0.59%

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

$302 $302

$147 $147

105.39%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$47.87 $47.87

46.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.0 $66.0

29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.97 $40.97

89.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.29 $15.29

16.68%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$812 $812

266.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.8K $20.8K

50.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$47.92 $47.92

59.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$34.63 $34.63

56.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$89.1 $89.1

43.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$116 $116

41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,616 $1,616

51.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,289 $1,289

50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,489 $2,489

90.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,185 $2,185

58.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,569 $1,569

369.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,566 $1,566

227.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,880 $2,880

125.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.37

8.16%

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 Joseph, MO: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Saint Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.9% 33.8% $657

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Saint Joseph, MO

$403 16.2% 26.1% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.5% 42.9% $196

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Saint Joseph, MO

$308 12.4% 22.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2% 31.9% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Saint Joseph, MO

$22 * 0.9% 82.9% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Saint Joseph, MO

$72 2.9% 37% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO. 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 126% 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $403 – making Saint Joseph, MO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

76,780

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Saint Joseph, MO 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Saint Joseph, MO

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, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 52% more than Saint Joseph, MO, 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 $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,727 in Saint Joseph, MO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Joseph, MO, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $812 in Saint Joseph, MO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint Joseph, MO costs $2,485 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Saint Joseph, MO. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.