Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Salem, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Salem, OH: $2,394 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Salem, OH
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Salem, OH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Salem, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Salem, OH

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 Salem, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,394 in Salem, OH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Salem, OH $2,394

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,399 in Salem, OH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Salem, OH $3,399

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,405 in Salem, OH, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Salem, OH $4,405

Seattle, WA costs about 58% more than Salem, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Salem, OH sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Salem, OH by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$13.83 $13.83

77.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$49.28 $49.28

99.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.20 $10.20

45.00%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.08 $3.08

111.69%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.13 $2.13

51.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.57 $1.57

101.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.02 $4.02

95.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.92 $3.92

104.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.88 $0.88

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.40 $3.40

51.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.04 $4.04

49.75%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.29 $3.29

48.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.24 $11.24

70.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.94 $9.94

90.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.17 $16.17

44.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.36 $3.36

78.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.43 $1.43

34.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.48 $4.48

17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.65 $3.65

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.57 $2.57

40.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.96 $1.96

68.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.64 $2.64

5.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.26 $2.26

11.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.74 $9.74

25.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.32 $13.32

11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.96 $1.96

115.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.17 $3.17

82.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.99 $1.99

48.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.57 $2.57

3.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.45 $2.45

-29.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$39.80 $39.80

-25.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.3K $31.3K

14.67%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

0.26%

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

$302 $302

$180 $180

67.88%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.6 $59.6

17.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$64.7 $64.7

31.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$45.61 $45.61

70.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.08 $12.08

47.68%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$495 $495

501.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$14.4K $14.4K

116.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$45.74 $45.74

67.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.12 $40.12

34.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$72.0 $72.0

77.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$78.8 $78.8

108.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,625 $1,625

50.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,312 $1,312

48.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,540 $2,540

86.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,113 $2,113

64.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,739 $2,739

168.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,382 $2,382

115.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salem, OH: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Salem, OH

$1.3K 54.8% 32.6% $635

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Salem, OH

$358 15% 34.4% $188

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Salem, OH

$304 12.7% 33.5% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Salem, OH

$221 9.2% 44.7% $179

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Salem, OH

$107 4.5% 44% $84

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Salem, OH

$23 * 1% 82.4% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Salem, OH

$70 2.9% 38.5% $44

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 $1,625 in Salem, OH. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $49.00 in Salem, OH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $358 – making Salem, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Salem, OH

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

04:10 4:10 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

155,469

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Salem, OH 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Salem, OH

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 Salem, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 58% more than Salem, OH, 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 $3,590 in Salem, OH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salem, OH, 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 $2,394 in Salem, OH. That's a gap of about 58%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $495 in Salem, OH. 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 $2,394 in Salem, OH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Salem, OH costs $2,394 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 Salem, OH. 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.