Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Francisco

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,672 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $1,672 in San Francisco.

Seattle, WA $3,800
San Francisco $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $2,668 in San Francisco.

Seattle, WA $5,702
San Francisco $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $3,664 in San Francisco.

Seattle, WA $7,603
San Francisco $3,664

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 127% more expensive than in San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, San Francisco 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$10.08 ₡4,520

151.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.8 ₡27.7K

64.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.03 ₡4,947

34.63%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.33 ₡1,941

52.19%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.30 ₡582

147.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.81 ₡810

73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.35 ₡1,504

144.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.31 ₡1,932

86.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.32 ₡1,039

-47.84%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.03 ₡1,360

68.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.44 ₡1,095

158.20%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.51 ₡1,575

39.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.83 ₡4,859

76.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.43 ₡4,677

77.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.81 ₡6,192

66.76%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.00 ₡2,241

16.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.64 ₡735

18.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.85 ₡2,177

9.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.96 ₡1,777

63.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.75 ₡1,683

-4.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.59 ₡1,609

-12.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.08 ₡483

163.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.20 ₡1,435

-24.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$5.80 ₡2,601

119.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$20.33 ₡9,119

-26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.81 ₡1,262

48.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.66 ₡1,642

63.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.34 ₡602

126.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$65.2 ₡29.3K

68.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.78 ₡800

43.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.63 ₡732

0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$8.91 ₡3,994

231.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.49 ₡667

-4.70%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

62.65%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-27.03%

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

$299 $299

$76.3 ₡34.2K

291.89%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$33.48 ₡15.0K

111.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$48.18 ₡21.6K

83.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$74.2 ₡33.3K

7.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.52 ₡3,373

127.66%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$973 ₡436.4K

209.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$16.8K ₡7.5M

88.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$71.1 ₡31.9K

8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$55.2 ₡24.8K

-0.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$66.7 ₡29.9K

88.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$53.8 ₡24.1K

202.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$808 ₡362.4K

204.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$629 ₡282.0K

211.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,914 ₡858.5K

146.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,267 ₡568.0K

180.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$892 ₡400.1K

604.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

San Francisco

$629 37.6% 67.9% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

San Francisco

$401 24% 26% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

San Francisco

$158 9.5% 65.5% $300

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

San Francisco

$203 12.2% 50.2% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Francisco

$111 6.6% 41.3% $78

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

San Francisco

$81 4.8% 39.4% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

San Francisco

$89 5.3% 21.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $808 in San Francisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 605% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $62.0 in San Francisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $401 per month, with San Francisco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

06:20 6:20 AM

07:20 7:20 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

55,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA San Francisco 5,510 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

San Francisco wins on cost – living expenses run 127% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Francisco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 605% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $808 in San Francisco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Francisco runs roughly 69% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $973 in San Francisco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,672 in San Francisco versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Francisco but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Francisco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Francisco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,672 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Francisco hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and San Francisco are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Francisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.