Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Santa Ana

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $2,018 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 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
97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Santa Ana

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,018 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Santa Ana $2,018

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,233 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Santa Ana $3,233

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,447 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Santa Ana $4,447

Seattle, WA costs about 88% more than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Santa Ana sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Santa Ana by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$12.04 ₡5,401

110.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.6 ₡28.1K

62.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.78 ₡5,285

26.06%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.40 ₡1,975

49.77%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.14 ₡959

50.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.37 ₡613

129.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.36 ₡1,508

143.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.27 ₡1,917

88.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.21 ₡993

-45.25%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.12 ₡1,400

64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.51 ₡1,127

151.00%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.47 ₡1,554

41.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.87 ₡4,876

75.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.40 ₡4,664

77.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$14.19 ₡6,364

62.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.10 ₡2,289

13.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 ₡742

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.65 ₡2,086

13.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.98 ₡1,785

62.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.93 ₡1,761

-9.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.60 ₡1,615

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.12 ₡500

154.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.80 ₡808

34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$6.11 ₡2,738

108.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$17.77 ₡7,970

-15.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.88 ₡1,293

44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.69 ₡1,207

122.68%

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

$2.49 ₡1,116

2.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.56 ₡698

5.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$8.59 ₡3,852

244.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.55 ₡694

-8.39%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.6K ₡9.7M

65.52%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-26.12%

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

$299 $299

$93.7 ₡42.0K

219.28%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$32.78 ₡14.7K

116.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$50.0 ₡22.4K

76.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$157 ₡70.4K

-49.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$22.25 ₡9,980

58.97%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.78 ₡3,490

120.05%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$983 ₡440.6K

206.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$17.4K ₡7.8M

81.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$65.4 ₡29.3K

18.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$56.0 ₡25.1K

-1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$127 ₡57.2K

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$132 ₡59.0K

23.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,055 ₡473.0K

133.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$885 ₡396.9K

121.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,955 ₡1.3M

59.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,844 ₡827.1K

92.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,727 ₡1.2M

169.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$1,657 ₡743.2K

204.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$1,402 ₡628.9K

348.22%

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 Santa Ana: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Santa Ana

$885 43.9% 54.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Santa Ana

$379 18.8% 30.1% $163

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Santa Ana

$176 8.7% 61.5% $282

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Santa Ana

$224 11.1% 45.2% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Ana

$171 8.5% 9.6% $18

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5% 92.3% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Santa Ana

$173 8.6% 51.7% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,055 in Santa Ana. 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 348% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $63.0 in Santa Ana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $379 – making Santa Ana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

08:21 8:21 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

13,000

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Seattle, WA Santa Ana 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Santa Ana

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 Santa Ana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 88% more than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,027 in Santa Ana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Ana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,018 in Santa Ana. That's a gap of about 88%.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $983 in Santa Ana. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Ana, where all-in costs run around $2,018, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Santa Ana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Ana costs $2,018 versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Ana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.