Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Santa Cruz, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Cruz, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
211

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz, CA
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Santa Cruz, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Santa Cruz, CA $4,325

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $6,239 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Santa Cruz, CA $6,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $8,152 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Santa Cruz, CA $8,152

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 12% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Santa Cruz, CA 220% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$24.97 $24.97

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$100 $100

1.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.15 $15.15

-1.98%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.71 $5.71

15.41%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.42 $3.42

-5.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.30 $2.30

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.84 $7.84

4.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.11 $8.11

-0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.39 $1.39

-12.95%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.73 $4.73

8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$7.80 $7.80

-19.23%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$6.16 $6.16

-20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$26.59 $26.59

-28.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$16.85 $16.85

9.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$17.71 $17.71

30.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$7.96 $7.96

-27.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.31 $2.31

-15.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$8.36 $8.36

-36.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$6.73 $6.73

-3.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$4.38 $4.38

-18.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.99 $2.99

5.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$4.98 $4.98

-42.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.98 $2.98

-18.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.72 $11.72

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$24.52 $24.52

-38.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.16 $2.16

93.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.24 $3.24

84.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.99 $1.99

52.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$64.4 $64.4

70.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.15 $3.15

-19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.43 $2.43

-32.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$40.55 $40.55

-27.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.54 $1.54

-7.79%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$37.5K $37.5K

-4.78%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

-0.84%

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

$299 $299

$377 $377

-20.65%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$58.9 $58.9

20.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$67.0 $67.0

31.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$79.3 $79.3

0.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$12.55 $12.55

181.83%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.76 $15.76

8.63%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$2,455 $2,455

22.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$29.4K $29.4K

7.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$66.9 $66.9

15.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$48.92 $48.92

12.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$90.7 $90.7

38.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$160 $160

1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$3,054 $3,054

-19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$2,471 $2,471

-20.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$4,807 $4,807

-1.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$4,164 $4,164

-14.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$7,919 $7,919

-7.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$11.3K $11.3K

-55.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,511 $5,511

14.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.47

5.87%

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 Cruz, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1% 26.3% $515

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8% 10% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6% 9.7% $45

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1% 4% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8% 12.9% $24

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2% 34.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6% 2.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 14% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $542 vs $596, with Seattle, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

64,220

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Santa Cruz, CA 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $100 in Santa Cruz, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Seattle, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,800 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Seattle, WA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.