Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Spartanburg, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Spartanburg, SC: $2,268 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Spartanburg, SC
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Spartanburg, SC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Spartanburg, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,268

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Spartanburg, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,268 in Spartanburg, SC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Spartanburg, SC $2,268

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,352 in Spartanburg, SC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Spartanburg, SC $3,352

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,435 in Spartanburg, SC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Spartanburg, SC $4,435

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Spartanburg, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Spartanburg, SC 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.11 $17.11

47.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$59.4 $59.4

69.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.93 $9.93

48.64%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.62 $5.62

15.66%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.24 $2.24

43.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.36 $2.36

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.86 $4.86

63.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.85 $6.85

18.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.94 $0.94

24.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.46 $3.46

53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.36 $5.36

19.40%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.80 $3.80

33.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.99 $12.99

44.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.54 $12.54

49.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.30 $16.30

40.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.25 $3.25

86.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.36 $2.36

-17.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.89 $3.89

41.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.98 $5.98

9.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.57 $2.57

35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.24 $2.24

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.13 $9.13

36.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.44 $16.44

-9.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$6.88 $6.88

-15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$122 $122

-12.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.80 $0.80

76.25%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.6K $34.6K

6.27%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.58%

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

$308 $308

$175 $175

75.34%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$91.9 $91.9

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.3 $62.3

38.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$26.35 $26.35

190.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.23 $12.23

47.34%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$960 $960

185.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$42.11 $42.11

87.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.61 $35.61

52.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$80.4 $80.4

57.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,267 $1,267

97.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$937 $937

106.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,180 $2,180

134.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,560 $1,560

127.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,793 $1,793

311.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,806 $1,806

176.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,369 $3,369

92.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

7.22

-4.57%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Spartanburg, SC: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Spartanburg, SC

$937 41.3% 51.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Spartanburg, SC

$413 * 18.2% 24.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Spartanburg, SC

$330 14.5% 28.8% $133

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Spartanburg, SC

$291 12.8% 28.5% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Spartanburg, SC

$126 5.5% 33.4% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Spartanburg, SC

$122 * 5.4% 5.7% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Spartanburg, SC

$51 2.2% 54.8% $62

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,267 in Spartanburg, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $59 in Spartanburg, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $413 per month, with Spartanburg, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Spartanburg, SC

🕒 Local time

18:06 6:06 PM

21:06 9:06 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

37,013

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Spartanburg, SC 3,610 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Spartanburg, SC

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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 Spartanburg, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Spartanburg, SC is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 92% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,267 in Spartanburg, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Spartanburg, SC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,268 in Spartanburg, SC – Spartanburg, SC is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Spartanburg, SC 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.

It comes down to priorities – Spartanburg, SC wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.