Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa, CA: $3,442 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
166

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Santa Rosa, CA $3,442

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,030 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Santa Rosa, CA $5,030

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,617 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Santa Rosa, CA $6,617

Seattle, WA costs about 10% more than Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Santa Rosa, CA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Santa Rosa, CA by 153%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$27.06 $27.06

-6.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$90.5 $90.5

11.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.15 $12.15

21.48%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.60 $6.60

-1.52%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.22 $3.22

-0.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.15 $3.15

-0.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.88 $7.88

1.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.92 $8.92

-8.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.37 $1.37

-14.60%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.59 $4.59

15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.75 $4.75

34.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.44 $5.44

-6.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$22.62 $22.62

-17.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.25 $15.25

22.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.99 $20.99

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.10 $6.10

-0.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.50 $2.50

-22.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.76 $6.76

-18.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.84 $6.84

-4.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.94 $3.94

-11.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.48 $3.48

-5.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.06 $3.06

-8.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.74 $11.74

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.85 $11.85

25.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.16 $2.16

93.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.07 $2.07

180.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.53 $1.53

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$50.2 $50.2

111.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.93 $3.93

-34.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.95 $1.95

-15.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.43 $29.43

2.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.49 $1.49

-5.37%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

33.80%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.47%

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

$308 $308

$196 $196

57.05%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$49.40 $49.40

40.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$71.5 $71.5

20.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$68.2 $68.2

12.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$13.99 $13.99

153.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.27 $14.27

26.28%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,255 $1,255

118.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$40.0K $40.0K

-23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.5 $50.5

56.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$36.55 $36.55

48.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$105 $105

20.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$127 $127

25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,336 $2,336

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,893 $1,893

2.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,569 $3,569

43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,100 $3,100

14.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,019 $5,019

46.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,908 $4,908

1.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,740 $4,740

36.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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 Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55% 2.3% $45

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7% 7.2% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2% 31.6% $146

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1% 2.1% $8.6

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2% 23.9% $45

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2% 45.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8% 14% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA. 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 36% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $91 in Santa Rosa, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $507 – making Santa Rosa, CA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

174,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Santa Rosa, CA 1,020 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 10% more than Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $5,164 in Santa Rosa, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA. That makes Santa Rosa, CA about 9% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 53% less in Santa Rosa, CA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santa Rosa, CA costs $3,442 versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Rosa, CA. 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.