Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Marcos, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,361 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
Learn more

San Marcos, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,800
San Marcos, TX $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,510 in San Marcos, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,702
San Marcos, TX $3,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,658 in San Marcos, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,603
San Marcos, TX $4,658

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 61% more expensive than in San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, San Marcos, TX 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$14.98 $14.98

69.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.5 $60.5

67.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.80 $11.80

25.85%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.72 $4.72

39.62%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.90 $2.90

11.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.73 $1.73

81.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.12 $5.12

59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.11 $6.11

31.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.76 $0.76

59.21%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.20 $3.20

60.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.74 $3.74

68.45%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.77 $2.77

76.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.06 $10.06

89.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.81 $9.81

88.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$12.95 $12.95

77.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$6.21 $6.21

-6.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.13 $1.13

72.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$6.58 $6.58

-19.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.83 $4.83

34.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.99 $3.99

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.92 $2.92

7.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.83 $1.83

55.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.80 $1.80

34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.49 $8.49

50.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.93 $13.93

7.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.77 $1.77

135.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.94 $3.94

52.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.57 $4.57

-44.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.82 $1.82

-9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$59.5 $59.5

-50.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.81 $0.81

75.31%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.82%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

2.16%

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

$299 $299

$134 $134

123.11%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$40.38 $40.38

75.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$55.8 $55.8

58.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$68.9 $68.9

15.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$11.32 $11.32

51.24%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$665 $665

353.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$17.7K $17.7K

78.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$59.4 $59.4

30.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$38.15 $38.15

44.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$83.0 $83.0

51.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$123 $123

32.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,350 $1,350

82.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,258 $1,258

55.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,855 $2,855

65.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,205 $2,205

61.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,463 $2,463

198.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,874 $1,874

169.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,143 $3,143

100.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.45

6.20%

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 Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 35.7% $699

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 32.9% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 49.8% $228

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 34.3% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 27.9% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 89.7% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 19.5% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 100% 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 $60.0 in San Marcos, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $363 per month, with San Marcos, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,894

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA San Marcos, TX 2,870 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
San Marcos, TX

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 Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marcos, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marcos, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 100% 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 $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX – a 61% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Marcos, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes San Marcos, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marcos, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,361 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marcos, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Marcos, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.