Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Diego, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
197

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in San Diego, 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 Diego, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
San Diego, CA $4,077

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,059 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
San Diego, CA $6,059

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,041 in San Diego, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
San Diego, CA $8,041

Seattle, WA is about 7% cheaper than San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and San Diego, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, San Diego, CA by 202%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$24.72 $24.72

2.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$97.7 $97.7

3.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$13.25 $13.25

12.08%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.96 $5.96

10.57%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.12 $3.12

3.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.62 $2.62

19.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.14 $8.14

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$11.11 $11.11

-27.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.37 $1.37

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.58 $5.58

-8.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.70 $4.70

34.04%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$6.77 $6.77

-27.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$17.12 $17.12

11.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$14.30 $14.30

29.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$20.72 $20.72

11.15%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.62 $4.62

25.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.86 $1.86

4.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.32 $4.32

22.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$5.08 $5.08

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.11 $3.11

14.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.70 $2.70

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.12 $2.12

34.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.01 $2.01

20.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.74 $11.74

8.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$16.72 $16.72

-10.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.16 $2.16

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.20 $3.20

87.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.47 $2.47

23.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$73.4 $73.4

49.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.99 $2.99

-14.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.09 $2.09

-21.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$28.38 $28.38

4.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.55 $1.55

-8.39%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.0K $37.0K

-3.38%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.29%

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

$299 $299

$256 $256

16.71%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$73.9 $73.9

-4.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$84.4 $84.4

4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$72.9 $72.9

9.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$24.09 $24.09

46.82%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$20.21 $20.21

-15.29%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,968 $1,968

53.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-12.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$68.4 $68.4

12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$54.7 $54.7

0.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$114 $114

10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$146 $146

11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$3,210 $3,210

-23.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$2,410 $2,410

-18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$5,499 $5,499

-14.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$4,336 $4,336

-18.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$8,110 $8,110

-9.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$6,682 $6,682

-24.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,975 $4,975

26.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.7

2.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for San Diego, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 23.2% $454

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 12.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 9.5% $44

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 3.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 8.9% $17

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 27.3% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 0.4% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $3,210 in San Diego, 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 26% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $98.0 in San Diego, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $475 – making San Diego, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,386,932

💱 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 San Diego, CA 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA

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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 San Diego, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Diego, CA costs about 7% more than Seattle, WA, 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 $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,116 in San Diego, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,968 in San Diego, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in San Diego, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $4,077 in San Diego, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,800 in Seattle, WA to $4,077 in San Diego, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Diego, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.