Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Bernardino, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardino, CA: $2,788 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
135

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardino, CA
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San Bernardino, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

San Bernardino, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,788

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in San Bernardino, CA

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 Bernardino, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,788 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
San Bernardino, CA $2,788

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,091 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
San Bernardino, CA $4,091

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,395 in San Bernardino, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
San Bernardino, CA $5,395

Seattle, WA costs about 36% more than San Bernardino, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and San Bernardino, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, San Bernardino, CA by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.29 $20.29

24.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.5 $76.5

31.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$16.27 $16.27

-9.28%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.84 $5.84

11.30%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.48 $3.48

-7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.35 $2.35

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.19 $7.19

10.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.66 $9.66

-15.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.02 $4.02

31.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.73 $4.73

35.31%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.78 $4.78

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.14 $13.14

42.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.75 $8.75

113.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.66 $15.66

46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.79 $4.79

26.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.81 $1.81

7.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.00 $4.00

37.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.49 $5.49

18.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.65 $3.65

-4.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.24 $2.24

46.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.98 $1.98

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.75 $11.75

6.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.73 $14.73

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.16 $2.16

93.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.20 $4.20

38.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.01 $2.01

51.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$61.0 $61.0

73.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$9.85 $9.85

-73.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.53 $1.53

-7.84%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.0K $29.0K

26.92%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.02%

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

$308 $308

$217 $217

41.60%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$67.2 $67.2

2.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.7 $71.7

20.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$31.81 $31.81

140.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.06 $15.06

19.65%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,153 $1,153

138.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.8K $17.8K

71.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$63.6 $63.6

24.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$48.79 $48.79

11.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$107 $107

18.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$144 $144

10.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,277 $1,277

96.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,375 $1,375

40.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,048 $2,048

149.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,325 $2,325

52.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,069 $4,069

81.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,358 $3,358

48.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,452 $3,452

87.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.39

7.82%

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 Bernardino, CA: 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 Bernardino, CA

$1.4K 49.3% 29.1% $563

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

San Bernardino, CA

$393 14.1% 28.2% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

San Bernardino, CA

$356 12.8% 23% $107

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

San Bernardino, CA

$360 12.9% 11.4% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Bernardino, CA

$163 5.9% 13.5% $26

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Bernardino, CA

$79 * 2.8% 38.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

San Bernardino, CA

$62 2.2% 45% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,277 in San Bernardino, CA. 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 87% 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 $77 in San Bernardino, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $393 – making San Bernardino, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Bernardino, CA

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

220,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA San Bernardino, CA 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
San Bernardino, CA

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 Bernardino, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,788 in San Bernardino, CA – San Bernardino, CA comes out roughly 26% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,182 in San Bernardino, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Bernardino, CA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,277 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $77 in San Bernardino, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Families tend to lean toward San Bernardino, CA – 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 Bernardino, CA. 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.