Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Dimas, CA: $2,463 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
124

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,463 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
San Dimas, CA $2,463

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,607 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
San Dimas, CA $3,607

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,750 in San Dimas, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
San Dimas, CA $4,750

Seattle, WA costs about 54% more than San Dimas, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and San Dimas, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, San Dimas, CA by 82%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$11.90 $11.90

106.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$49.37 $49.37

98.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.88 $8.88

66.55%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.85 $5.85

11.45%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.52 $3.52

-8.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.46 $2.46

28.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.59 $7.59

3.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.21 $8.21

-2.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.09 $1.09

11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.07 $4.07

26.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.80 $4.80

26.04%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.61 $4.61

5.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.96 $12.96

47.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$20.43 $20.43

-7.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.16 $15.16

53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.91 $4.91

22.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.68 $1.68

14.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.53 $5.53

-5.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.85 $5.85

12.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.76 $3.76

-3.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.22 $2.22

49.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.99 $1.99

39.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.84 $1.84

36.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.65 $11.65

4.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.16 $15.16

-2.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.99 $1.99

112.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.24 $4.24

36.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.70 $1.70

73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$6.15 $6.15

-56.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.77 $1.77

-2.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.08 $26.08

13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.56 $1.56

-4.49%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.9K $28.9K

24.15%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

-1.76%

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

$302 $302

$167 $167

81.18%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$67.9 $67.9

3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$59.7 $59.7

42.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.86 $41.86

85.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.89 $14.89

19.81%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,935 $1,935

53.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

19.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$57.6 $57.6

33.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.34 $39.34

37.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$93.9 $93.9

36.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$146 $146

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,616 $1,616

51.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,197 $1,197

62.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,554 $2,554

85.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,036 $2,036

70.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,691 $2,691

173.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,449 $2,449

109.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,063 $4,063

60.14%

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 19, 2026

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

San Dimas, CA

$1.2K 48.6% 38.5% $749

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

San Dimas, CA

$456 18.5% 16.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

San Dimas, CA

$294 11.9% 35.7% $163

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

San Dimas, CA

$270 11% 32.4% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

San Dimas, CA

$152 6.2% 20.3% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Dimas, CA

$22 * 0.9% 83.1% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.9% 36.9% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,616 in San Dimas, 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 60% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $456 – making San Dimas, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

35,714

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA San Dimas, CA 1,550 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
San Dimas, 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 Dimas, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,463 in San Dimas, CA – roughly 54% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,695 in San Dimas, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,463 in San Dimas, 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 $2,463 in San Dimas, CA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. 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 San Dimas, CA. 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.