Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Sarasota, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarasota, FL: $3,100 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
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Sarasota, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Sarasota, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $3,100 in Sarasota, FL.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Sarasota, FL $3,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $4,631 in Sarasota, FL.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Sarasota, FL $4,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $6,163 in Sarasota, FL.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Sarasota, FL $6,163

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 21% more expensive than in Sarasota, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Sarasota, FL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$27.79 $27.79

-14.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$85.2 $85.2

15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.01 $11.01

35.69%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.85 $5.85

16.07%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.32 $3.32

-2.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.85 $2.85

10.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.63 $5.63

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.07 $7.07

11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.33 $1.33

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.12 $4.12

28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.77 $4.77

20.75%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.20 $4.20

16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$15.42 $15.42

31.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$14.09 $14.09

27.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$22.63 $22.63

3.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.89 $4.89

21.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.43 $1.43

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.75 $2.75

94.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.28 $6.28

4.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$5.20 $5.20

-34.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.95 $2.95

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.19 $2.19

31.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.32 $2.32

4.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.12 $9.12

33.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$11.61 $11.61

31.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.17 $2.17

101.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.20 $4.20

40.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.47 $1.47

101.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$50.8 $50.8

115.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$37.2K $37.2K

-2.65%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

0.14%

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

$289 $289

$130 $130

122.15%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$44.84 $44.84

53.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.5 $82.5

2.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$47.72 $47.72

45.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$13.76 $13.76

154.72%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$20.35 $20.35

-11.70%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$860 $860

227.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

103.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$62.8 $62.8

45.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$49.76 $49.76

10.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$116 $116

9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$156 $156

4.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$2,238 $2,238

15.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,681 $1,681

15.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$5,873 $5,873

-13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,895 $2,895

22.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$4,876 $4,876

50.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,863 $2,863

71.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$4,367 $4,367

47.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.35

7.09%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sarasota, FL: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.2% 13.5% $262

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Sarasota, FL

$451 14.6% 17.1% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Sarasota, FL

$257 8.3% 41.9% $185

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Sarasota, FL

$393 12.7% 1.6% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Sarasota, FL

$173 5.6% 11.8% $23

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Sarasota, FL

$57 * 1.8% 57.1% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Sarasota, FL

$88 2.9% 16.1% $17

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $2,238 in Sarasota, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $85 in Sarasota, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $451 per month, with Sarasota, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🕒 Local time

17:02 5:02 PM

20:02 8:02 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

52,942

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Sarasota, FL 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Sarasota, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarasota, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Sarasota, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $2,238 in Sarasota, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $860 in Sarasota, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sarasota, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Sarasota, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.