Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Santa Ana

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $1,026 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $33,300 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
50

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

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,026

/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 $1,026 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Santa Ana $1,026

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,625 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Santa Ana $1,625

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,225 in Santa Ana, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Santa Ana $2,225

Seattle, WA costs about 271% more than Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Seattle, WA sits 182% above the global median, while Santa Ana is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$6.80 $6.80

272.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$44.56 $44.56

127.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$6.93 $6.93

114.29%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.64 $3.64

81.04%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.17 $1.17

175.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.82 $0.82

282.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$2.05 $2.05

299.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.46 $3.46

132.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.80 $1.80

-32.78%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.86 $2.86

79.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$1.39 $1.39

353.24%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.97 $2.97

64.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$7.49 $7.49

155.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$7.00 $7.00

164.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$10.29 $10.29

123.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.02 $5.02

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.68 $2.68

97.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.55 $3.55

82.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.98 $2.98

19.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.23 $3.23

-2.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.01 $1.01

182.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.99 $0.99

144.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$3.96 $3.96

221.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$11.77 $11.77

27.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.17 $2.17

92.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.98 $2.98

101.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.29 $0.29

948.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$5.96 $5.96

-57.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.94 $2.94

-44.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$19.64 $19.64

50.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.95 $0.95

49.47%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.8K $22.8K

56.75%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.47%

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

$299 $299

$40.10 $40.10

645.66%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$20.97 $20.97

237.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$38.73 $38.73

128.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$34.57 $34.57

130.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$4.97 $4.97

244.47%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$162 $162

1754.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$4,797 $4,797

559.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$67.5 $67.5

14.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$46.93 $46.93

17.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$120 $120

4.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$117 $117

38.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$640 $640

284.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$271 $271

621.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,019 $1,019

362.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$448 $448

692.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$457 $457

1276.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

37.00%

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 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Santa Ana

$271 26.4% 86.1% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Santa Ana

$286 27.9% 47.2% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Santa Ana

$100 9.7% 78.2% $358

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Santa Ana

$144 14% 64.8% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Ana

$158 15.5% 16.3% $31

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Santa Ana

$22 * 2.1% 83.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Santa Ana

$45 4.3% 60.9% $69

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 $640 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 1276% 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 $45.00 in Santa Ana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $286 – making Santa Ana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇸🇻 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

15:50 3:50 PM

16:50 4:50 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

167,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Santa Ana 4,810 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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $1,026 in Santa Ana – roughly 271% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,538 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 $1,026 in Santa Ana. That's a gap of about 271%.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $162 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 $1,026, 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.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,026 in Santa Ana to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.