Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Louis, MO: $2,361 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
114

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Saint Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,361 in Saint Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Saint Louis, MO $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,555 in Saint Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Saint Louis, MO $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,749 in Saint Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Saint Louis, MO $4,749

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 60% more expensive than in Saint Louis, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Saint Louis, MO 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.81 $17.81

42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.3 $76.3

32.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.83 $11.83

24.77%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.04 $5.04

28.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.39 $2.39

34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.76 $1.76

78.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.72 $5.72

39.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.96 $6.96

16.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.28 $1.28

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.93 $3.93

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.88 $5.88

8.84%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.86 $3.86

31.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.26 $13.26

41.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.67 $15.67

19.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.61 $20.61

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.44 $8.44

-28.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.37 $2.37

-17.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.77 $5.77

-4.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.15 $5.15

26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.38 $4.38

-20.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.93 $4.93

-33.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.91 $2.91

-3.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.93 $2.93

-11.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.16 $8.16

53.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.85 $14.85

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.79 $2.79

50.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.27 $3.27

77.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.55 $2.55

19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$78.3 $78.3

35.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.44 $3.44

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.59 $1.59

3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$39.27 $39.27

-23.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.0K $29.0K

26.85%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

0.12%

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

$308 $308

$246 $246

24.97%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.5 $69.5

-0.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$75.7 $75.7

13.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$28.83 $28.83

165.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.14 $20.14

76.27%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.75 $13.75

31.05%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,404 $1,404

95.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.6K $23.6K

29.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$58.9 $58.9

34.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.31 $39.31

38.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.3 $88.3

43.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,453 $1,453

72.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$881 $881

119.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,797 $1,797

184.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,519 $1,519

133.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,631 $1,631

352.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,819 $1,819

175.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,178 $4,178

54.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.72

2.53%

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 Louis, MO: 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 Louis, MO

$881 37.3% 54.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Saint Louis, MO

$496 21% 9.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Saint Louis, MO

$391 16.6% 15.4% $71

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Saint Louis, MO

$297 12.6% 26.8% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Saint Louis, MO

$138 5.9% 26.7% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Saint Louis, MO

$100 4.2% 22.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Saint Louis, MO

$56 2.4% 49.9% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 55% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Saint Louis, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $496 per month, with Saint Louis, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Saint Louis, MO

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

19:24 7:24 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

301,578

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Saint Louis, MO 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Saint Louis, MO

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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 Louis, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Louis, MO is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 55% 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 $1,453 in Saint Louis, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,404 in Saint Louis, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

Expats usually find Saint Louis, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.