Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Francisco, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
211

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
San Francisco, CA $4,342

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,433 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
San Francisco, CA $6,433

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,523 in San Francisco, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
San Francisco, CA $8,523

Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper than San Francisco, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, San Francisco, CA by 222%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$27.11 $27.11

-6.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$120 $120

-15.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.06 $15.06

-1.39%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.06 $6.06

8.75%

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

$3.22 $3.22

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.75 $2.75

14.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.83 $7.83

4.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.25 $9.25

-13.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.72 $1.72

-29.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$5.39 $5.39

-5.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.76 $4.76

32.35%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.87 $4.87

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$16.10 $16.10

18.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$15.32 $15.32

20.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$22.69 $22.69

1.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.20 $6.20

-6.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.83 $2.83

-31.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.32 $4.32

22.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.66 $6.66

-2.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.90 $2.90

23.10%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.72 $3.72

-15.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.81 $2.81

1.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.59 $2.59

-6.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.79 $11.79

8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.62 $14.62

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.11 $3.11

34.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.56 $3.56

68.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.91 $2.91

4.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$95.8 $95.8

14.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.22 $4.22

-39.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.99 $1.99

-17.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$39.06 $39.06

-24.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.51 $1.51

-5.96%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.6K $37.6K

-5.04%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

0.51%

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

$299 $299

$214 $214

39.57%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$62.2 $62.2

13.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$76.8 $76.8

15.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$122 $122

-34.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$21.47 $21.47

64.74%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$17.99 $17.99

-4.84%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$2,943 $2,943

2.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$42.7K $42.7K

-25.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$76.5 $76.5

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$47.33 $47.33

16.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$101 $101

23.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$140 $140

16.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$3,749 $3,749

-34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$2,617 $2,617

-25.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$5,734 $5,734

-17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$4,530 $4,530

-21.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$9,861 $9,861

-25.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$7,520 $7,520

-32.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$6,548 $6,548

-4.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.76

1.33%

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 Francisco, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3% 33.8% $661

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8% 5.6% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1% 22.9% $105

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6% 1.9% $7.6

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8% 13.3% $25

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6% 39.1% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $3,749 in San Francisco, 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 4% higher in San Francisco, CA, 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $120 in San Francisco, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $542 in Seattle, WA vs $512 in San Francisco, CA – so San Francisco, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🕒 Local time

08:24 8:24 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

873,965

💱 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 Francisco, CA 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – San Francisco, CA is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,513 in San Francisco, 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 6% cheaper in San Francisco, CA – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $120 in San Francisco, CA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $4,342 in San Francisco, CA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Seattle, WA – 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 Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Francisco, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.