Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Springfield, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Springfield, MA: $3,093 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
149

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, MA
Learn more

Springfield, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Springfield, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Springfield, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,093 in Springfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Springfield, MA $3,093

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,347 in Springfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Springfield, MA $4,347

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,600 in Springfield, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Springfield, MA $5,600

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 22% more expensive than in Springfield, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Springfield, MA 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.85 $22.85

10.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$83.3 $83.3

21.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.28 $14.28

3.36%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.44 $6.44

0.93%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.71 $2.71

18.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.05 $2.05

53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.18 $6.18

28.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.22 $9.22

-11.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.01 $1.01

15.84%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.71 $2.71

95.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.26 $2.26

183.19%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.53 $3.53

43.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.57 $16.57

12.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.78 $10.78

73.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.55 $18.55

23.34%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.87 $4.87

24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.58 $5.58

-1.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.61 $4.61

41.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.15 $3.15

10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.69 $3.69

-10.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.24 $2.24

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.98 $1.98

30.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.77 $13.77

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.23 $14.23

4.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.78 $1.78

135.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.84 $3.84

51.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$54.2 $54.2

95.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.06 $5.06

-49.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.40 $1.40

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.86 $29.86

0.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.95 $0.95

48.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.4K $27.4K

34.26%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.48%

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

$308 $308

$210 $210

46.64%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.0 $69.0

0.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.1 $73.1

17.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$28.21 $28.21

171.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$18.78 $18.78

89.03%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.82 $14.82

21.59%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,516 $1,516

81.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.2K $17.2K

77.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.6 $50.6

56.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.37 $39.37

37.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$114 $114

11.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$109 $109

46.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,799 $1,799

39.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,705 $1,705

13.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,427 $2,427

110.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,501 $2,501

41.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,499 $2,499

195.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,570 $2,570

94.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,892 $3,892

66.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.28

9.71%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Springfield, MA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Springfield, MA

$1.7K 55.1% 12% $233

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Springfield, MA

$392 12.7% 28.3% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Springfield, MA

$352 11.4% 24% $111

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Springfield, MA

$371 12% 8.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Springfield, MA

$141 4.6% 25.4% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Springfield, MA

$74 2.4% 42.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Springfield, MA

$58 1.9% 48.6% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,799 in Springfield, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 66% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $83 in Springfield, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $392 per month, with Springfield, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Springfield, MA

🕒 Local time

14:20 2:20 PM

17:20 5:20 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

116,482

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Springfield, MA 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Springfield, MA

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 Springfield, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Springfield, MA is about 18% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 66% 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 $1,799 in Springfield, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Springfield, MA – a meal for two runs $83 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 $3,093 in Springfield, MA – Springfield, MA is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Springfield, MA 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 Springfield, MA 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.