Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,603 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Jose, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
223

Cost of Living Index in San Jose, CA
Learn more

San Jose, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,603

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,603 in San Jose, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
San Jose, CA $4,603

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,374 in San Jose, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
San Jose, CA $6,374

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,145 in San Jose, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
San Jose, CA $8,145

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 18% less than in San Jose, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, San Jose, CA 238% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$21.70 $21.70

16.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$102 $102

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.21 $12.21

20.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.86 $5.86

10.92%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.06 $3.06

4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.43 $2.43

29.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.97 $8.97

-11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$10.02 $10.02

-18.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.72 $1.72

-31.98%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.39 $4.39

20.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.03 $4.03

58.81%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.72 $5.72

-11.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.85 $19.85

-5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.10 $14.10

32.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$21.98 $21.98

4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.24 $5.24

15.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.94 $1.94

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.41 $5.41

1.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.54 $5.54

17.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.51 $3.51

-0.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.92 $2.92

12.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.47 $2.47

13.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.99 $11.99

4.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.34 $15.34

-3.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.47 $2.47

69.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.42 $3.42

69.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.57 $2.57

18.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$89.8 $89.8

17.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.54 $3.54

-27.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.06 $3.06

-46.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.32 $30.32

-0.66%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

-1.63%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.28%

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

$308 $308

$278 $278

10.54%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$48.77 $48.77

41.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.4 $82.4

4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$87.8 $87.8

-12.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$24.18 $24.18

46.82%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.13 $16.13

11.72%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,902 $1,902

44.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$39.0K $39.0K

-21.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$58.9 $58.9

34.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$51.5 $51.5

5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$101 $101

25.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,967 $2,967

-15.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,948 $2,948

-34.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,822 $4,822

6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,470 $4,470

-20.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$8,193 $8,193

-10.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$8,167 $8,167

-38.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,076 $6,076

6.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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 Jose, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

San Jose, CA

$2.9K 64% 52.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

San Jose, CA

$490 10.6% 10.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

San Jose, CA

$409 8.9% 11.5% $53

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

San Jose, CA

$367 8% 9.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Jose, CA

$150 3.3% 20.8% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Jose, CA

$119 2.6% 7.8% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

San Jose, CA

$120 2.6% 6.7% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,967 in San Jose, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $101 in San Jose, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $490, with San Jose, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🕒 Local time

20:09 8:09 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,035,317

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA San Jose, CA 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in San Jose, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,967 in San Jose, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,902 in San Jose, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in San Jose, CA runs roughly 15% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.