Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Luis Obispo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Obispo, CA: $3,315 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
161

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
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San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
San Luis Obispo, CA $3,315

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,816 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
San Luis Obispo, CA $4,816

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,317 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
San Luis Obispo, CA $6,317

Seattle, WA costs about 14% more than San Luis Obispo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and San Luis Obispo, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, San Luis Obispo, CA by 144%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$23.68 $23.68

6.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.1 $60.1

67.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.82 $12.82

15.13%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.37 $6.37

2.04%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.85 $2.85

12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.50 $2.50

25.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.09 $8.09

-1.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.91 $7.91

2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.16 $1.16

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.46 $4.46

18.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.40 $5.40

18.52%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.65 $4.65

8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.61 $15.61

19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.89 $8.89

110.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.50 $15.50

47.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.81 $3.81

59.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.99 $1.99

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.27 $3.27

68.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.25 $3.25

100.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.90 $2.90

20.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.81 $2.81

17.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.16 $2.16

29.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.04 $2.04

26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.65 $11.65

7.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.25 $17.25

-13.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.84 $1.84

127.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.15 $3.15

84.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.73 $1.73

76.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$59.2 $59.2

78.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.52 $6.52

-60.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.75 $2.75

-40.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$37.93 $37.93

-20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.44 $1.44

-2.08%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.9K $30.9K

19.12%

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

$251 $251

22.56%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$54.0 $54.0

28.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$67.9 $67.9

26.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$32.67 $32.67

134.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$49.73 $49.73

-28.61%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.28 $12.28

46.74%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,312 $2,312

18.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$33.6K $33.6K

-8.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$65.9 $65.9

20.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$49.81 $49.81

9.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$108 $108

17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$99.7 $99.7

59.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,431 $2,431

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,879 $1,879

3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,313 $4,313

18.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,264 $3,264

8.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$7,432 $7,432

-0.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$5,995 $5,995

-16.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,519 $5,519

17.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.26

10.06%

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 Luis Obispo, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$1.9K 56.7% 3.1% $60

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$392 11.8% 28.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$373 11.3% 19.4% $90

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$382 11.5% 6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$146 4.4% 22.8% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$86 2.6% 33% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$57 1.7% 49.1% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, 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 17% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $60 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $392 – making San Luis Obispo, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

47,339

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA San Luis Obispo, CA 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 14% more than San Luis Obispo, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,972 in San Luis Obispo, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 44% less in San Luis Obispo, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,312 in San Luis Obispo, CA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Luis Obispo, CA costs $3,315 versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with San Luis Obispo, CA. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.