Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Salina, KS

For one person, living is cheaper in Salina, KS: $1,997 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Salina, KS
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Salina, KS Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Salina, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Salina, KS

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 Salina, KS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $1,997 in Salina, KS.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Salina, KS $1,997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,997 in Salina, KS.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Salina, KS $2,997

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,997 in Salina, KS.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Salina, KS $3,997

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 89% more expensive than in Salina, KS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Salina, KS 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.03 $15.03

63.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$41.89 $41.89

134.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.28 $9.28

59.38%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.48 $5.48

18.98%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.06 $2.06

56.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.73 $1.73

83.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.09 $5.09

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.21 $9.21

-12.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.96 $0.96

26.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.17 $3.17

62.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.27 $6.27

-3.51%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.69 $4.69

4.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.78 $11.78

62.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.65 $8.65

118.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.60 $14.60

59.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.90 $6.90

-13.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.16 $2.16

-10.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.78 $5.78

-9.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.15 $4.15

58.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.45 $3.45

4.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.85 $3.85

-14.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.81 $1.81

53.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.06 $2.06

21.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$7.96 $7.96

53.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.31 $17.31

-14.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.83 $1.83

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.57 $2.57

124.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$25.08 $25.08

323.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.10 $5.10

-48.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.27 $1.27

35.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$35.35 $35.35

-15.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.90 $0.90

65.56%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$24.6K $24.6K

45.72%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

3.33%

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

$302 $302

$145 $145

107.95%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$47.14 $47.14

48.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$65.2 $65.2

30.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.86 $41.86

85.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$34.08 $34.08

1.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.87 $14.87

19.97%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$822 $822

261.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$9,761 $9,761

220.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$48.15 $48.15

59.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$34.46 $34.46

56.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$76.2 $76.2

68.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$118 $118

38.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$762 $762

220.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$828 $828

135.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,298 $1,298

265.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,476 $1,476

135.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,417 $1,417

419.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,697 $1,697

202.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,030 $3,030

114.74%

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 Salina, KS: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Salina, KS

$828 41.5% 57.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Salina, KS

$398 19.9% 27.1% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Salina, KS

$257 12.9% 43.7% $200

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Salina, KS

$273 13.7% 31.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Salina, KS

$125 6.2% 34.5% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Salina, KS

$45 2.2% 65.5% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Salina, KS

$72 3.6% 36.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $762 in Salina, KS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 115% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $42.00 in Salina, KS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $398 per month, with Salina, KS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Salina, KS

🕒 Local time

23:29 11:29 PM

01:29 1:29 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

47,707

💱 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 Salina, KS 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Salina, KS

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 Salina, KS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Salina, KS differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $1,997 including rent). Salina, KS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $762 in Salina, KS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Salina, KS – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,997 in Salina, KS – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,997 in Salina, KS versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Salina, KS but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Salina, KS the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Salina, KS gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.