Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Leandro, CA: $3,483 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
166

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,483 in San Leandro, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
San Leandro, CA $3,483

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,059 in San Leandro, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
San Leandro, CA $5,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,634 in San Leandro, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
San Leandro, CA $6,634

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 9% more expensive than in San Leandro, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, San Leandro, CA 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.50 $25.50

-0.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$111 $111

-9.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.84 $14.84

-0.54%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.10 $6.10

6.56%

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

$3.21 $3.21

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.78 $2.78

12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.90 $7.90

0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.84 $8.84

-8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.76 $1.76

-33.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.24 $5.24

1.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.86 $4.86

31.69%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.84 $5.84

-13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.22 $15.22

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.05 $13.05

43.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.80 $22.80

0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.07 $6.07

-0.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 $1.53

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.42 $4.42

24.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.46 $6.46

0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.00 $3.00

16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.72 $2.72

20.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.03 $2.03

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.99 $1.99

29.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.95 $11.95

4.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.36 $14.36

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.74 $1.74

140.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.70 $3.70

56.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.70 $5.70

-46.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$97.6 $97.6

8.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.23 $4.23

-39.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$38.81 $38.81

-22.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.56 $1.56

-9.62%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.21%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.51%

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

$308 $308

$240 $240

27.97%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.9 $50.9

35.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$77.0 $77.0

11.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$49.58 $49.58

54.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.03 $16.03

12.41%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,923 $2,923

-6.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$43.1K $43.1K

-29.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$66.4 $66.4

19.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.43 $39.43

37.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.3 $88.3

43.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,357 $2,357

6.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,882 $1,882

3.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,652 $3,652

40.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,985 $2,985

18.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,091 $5,091

44.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,028 $4,028

24.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,390 $5,390

20.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.76

1.92%

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 Leandro, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54% 2.9% $57

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6% 13.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6% 20.4% $95

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6% 0.8% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1% 24.9% $47

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9% 4.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3% 27.4% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,357 in San Leandro, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $111 in San Leandro, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $473, with San Leandro, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🕒 Local time

16:00 4:00 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

88,815

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA San Leandro, CA 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, so San Leandro, CA is about 8% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $2,357 in San Leandro, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $111 in San Leandro, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Leandro, CA 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.

It comes down to priorities – San Leandro, CA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.