Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,285 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,285 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Santa Cruz $1,285

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,988 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Santa Cruz $1,988

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,690 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Santa Cruz $2,690

Seattle, WA costs about 195% more than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Seattle, WA sits 178% above the global median, while Santa Cruz is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$7.37 JMD 1,163

243.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.6 JMD 10.0K

58.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$6.45 JMD 1,016

128.84%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.34 JMD 842

21.72%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.16 JMD 182

176.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.75 JMD 119

318.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.26 JMD 357

252.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.08 JMD 485

163.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$4.04 JMD 638

-71.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.58 JMD 406

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.57 JMD 248

307.64%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.47 JMD 548

45.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.33 JMD 1,787

65.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.40 JMD 1,010

192.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$10.41 JMD 1,641

119.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.97 JMD 941

1.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.83 JMD 604

-49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.43 JMD 1,171

-25.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.01 JMD 474

116.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.32 JMD 523

5.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.64 JMD 416

24.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.01 JMD 475

-6.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.45 JMD 229

77.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.47 JMD 1,494

31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.53 JMD 1,818

28.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.89 JMD 456

44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.01 JMD 632

44.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.27 JMD 201

103.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.12 JMD 492

-47.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$6.12 JMD 966

392.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.39 JMD 220

1.44%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$44.8K JMD 7.1M

-17.95%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$32.6K JMD 5.1M

-18.32%

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

$308 $308

$166 JMD 26.2K

85.14%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$29.57 JMD 4,664

133.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$51.8 JMD 8,165

66.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$38.40 JMD 6,055

99.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.44 JMD 2,119

34.08%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$359 JMD 56.6K

665.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$8,104 JMD 1.3M

277.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$23.66 JMD 3,731

234.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$31.85 JMD 5,022

70.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$78.3 JMD 12.3K

61.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$101 JMD 15.9K

57.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$311 JMD 49.0K

523.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$499 JMD 78.8K

609.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$408 JMD 64.3K

1485.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

9.45

-27.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Santa Cruz

$311 24.2% 84% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Santa Cruz

$371 28.9% 32.1% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.3% 46.5% $215

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Santa Cruz

$168 13% 58.8% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 44% $83

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Santa Cruz

$17 * 1.3% 86.9% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Santa Cruz

$65 5.1% 42% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 16 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $64 in Santa Cruz. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $371 – making Santa Cruz the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

16:11 4:11 PM

18:11 6:11 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

8,217

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.7 EUR).

JMD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Santa Cruz 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Santa Cruz

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 195%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,928 in Santa Cruz. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,285 in Santa Cruz. That makes Santa Cruz about 66% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $2,746 per month in Seattle, WA and $359 in Santa Cruz. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santa Cruz, where all-in costs run around $1,285, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Santa Cruz 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 $1,285 in Santa Cruz to $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Cruz. 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.