Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Salt Lake City, UT

For one person, living is cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT: $2,672 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Salt Lake City, UT
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Salt Lake City, UT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Salt Lake City, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Salt Lake City, UT

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 Salt Lake City, UT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Salt Lake City, UT $2,672

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,866 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Salt Lake City, UT $3,866

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,061 in Salt Lake City, UT, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Salt Lake City, UT $5,061

Seattle, WA costs about 42% more than Salt Lake City, UT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Salt Lake City, UT sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Salt Lake City, UT by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.76 $17.76

42.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$74.7 $74.7

35.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.97 $9.97

48.04%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.17 $5.17

25.73%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.20 $2.20

45.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.65 $1.65

90.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.83 $5.83

36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.86 $7.86

3.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.88 $0.88

32.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.97 $3.97

33.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.02 $4.02

59.20%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.23 $4.23

19.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.84 $11.84

58.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.11 $12.11

54.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.15 $17.15

33.41%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.00 $4.00

51.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.65 $3.65

50.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.07 $4.07

60.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.20 $2.20

58.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.41 $2.41

36.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.84 $1.84

52.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.31 $10.31

21.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.84 $14.84

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.62 $2.62

59.92%

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

$2.48 $2.48

22.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$85.1 $85.1

24.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.47 $2.47

4.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.29 $2.29

-28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.83 $24.83

21.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.16 $1.16

21.55%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.3K $34.3K

7.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.38%

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

$308 $308

$199 $199

54.42%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$52.3 $52.3

32.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.2 $82.2

4.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$33.66 $33.66

127.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$27.63 $27.63

28.48%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.98 $14.98

20.29%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,323 $1,323

107.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$20.5K $20.5K

49.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$69.9 $69.9

13.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$45.60 $45.60

19.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$111 $111

14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$108 $108

46.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,583 $1,583

58.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,337 $1,337

44.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,828 $2,828

80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,120 $2,120

67.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,613 $4,613

59.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,012 $3,012

66.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,396 $4,396

47.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Salt Lake City, UT: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$1.3K 50% 31% $601

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$384 14.4% 29.9% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Salt Lake City, UT

$334 12.5% 27.9% $129

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Salt Lake City, UT

$294 11% 27.6% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Salt Lake City, UT

$151 5.6% 20.2% $38

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Salt Lake City, UT

$109 4.1% 15.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Salt Lake City, UT

$64 2.4% 43.4% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,583 in Salt Lake City, UT. 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 47% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $75 in Salt Lake City, UT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $384 – making Salt Lake City, UT the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Salt Lake City, UT

🕒 Local time

13:46 1:46 PM

14:46 2:46 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

200,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Salt Lake City, UT 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Salt Lake City, UT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,008 in Salt Lake City, UT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Salt Lake City, UT, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,583 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $75 in Salt Lake City, UT. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT. That makes Salt Lake City, UT about 29% cheaper.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,672 in Salt Lake City, UT. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Salt Lake City, UT – 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 Salt Lake City, UT. 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.