Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Antonio, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio, TX: $2,367 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
113

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
Learn more

San Antonio, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in San Antonio, TX

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 San Antonio, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,367 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
San Antonio, TX $2,367

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,599 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
San Antonio, TX $3,599

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,831 in San Antonio, TX, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
San Antonio, TX $4,831

Seattle, WA costs about 60% more than San Antonio, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and San Antonio, TX sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, San Antonio, TX by 74%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.06 $18.06

40.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$71.0 $71.0

42.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.60 $10.60

39.25%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.17 $5.17

25.73%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.65 $2.65

21.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.74 $1.74

80.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.40 $5.40

47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.84 $5.84

39.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.14 $1.14

2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.31 $3.31

60.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.31 $4.31

48.49%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.68 $3.68

37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.28 $12.28

52.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.79 $11.79

58.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.72 $17.72

29.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.69 $4.69

29.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 $1.55

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.47 $4.47

23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.58 $3.58

82.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.48 $2.48

40.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.04 $3.04

8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.92 $1.92

45.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.26 $2.26

14.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.02 $10.02

24.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.75 $14.75

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.69 $2.69

55.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.50 $3.50

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.32 $1.32

131.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$38.02 $38.02

178.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.43 $3.43

-24.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.77 $1.77

-7.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.31 $24.31

23.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.9K $36.9K

-0.27%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.46%

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

$308 $308

$213 $213

44.21%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$73.4 $73.4

-5.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$78.5 $78.5

9.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$35.23 $35.23

117.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.42 $20.42

73.85%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.60 $14.60

23.42%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,283 $1,283

114.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$19.2K $19.2K

59.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$51.3 $51.3

54.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.62 $49.62

9.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$136 $136

-6.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$150 $150

5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,437 $1,437

74.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,021 $1,021

89.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,887 $2,887

77.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,897 $1,897

86.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,357 $4,357

69.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,761 $1,761

184.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,901 $3,901

65.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.44

6.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Antonio, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

San Antonio, TX

$1K 43.1% 47.3% $918

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

San Antonio, TX

$392 16.6% 28.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

San Antonio, TX

$365 15.4% 21.1% $98

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

San Antonio, TX

$295 12.5% 27.5% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Antonio, TX

$174 7.4% 7.7% $15

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Antonio, TX

$56 2.4% 56.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

San Antonio, TX

$64 2.7% 42.7% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,437 in San Antonio, TX. 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 66% 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 $71 in San Antonio, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $392 – making San Antonio, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

09:10 9:10 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,434,625

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA San Antonio, TX 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
San Antonio, TX

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 San Antonio, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,367 in San Antonio, TX – roughly 60% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,551 in San Antonio, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Antonio, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,437 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,367 in San Antonio, TX. That’s a gap of about 60%.

Public transport costs about 64% less in San Antonio, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in San Antonio, TX, where all-in costs run around $2,367, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In San Antonio, TX it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Antonio, TX – 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 San Antonio, TX. 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.