Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Springfield, MO: $2,215 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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
106

Cost of Living Index in Springfield, MO
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Springfield, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Springfield, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,215 in Springfield, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Springfield, MO $2,215

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,219 in Springfield, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Springfield, MO $3,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,223 in Springfield, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Springfield, MO $4,223

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 71% more expensive than in Springfield, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Springfield, MO 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$27.66 $27.66

-8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.7 $60.7

66.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.03 $11.03

33.82%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.02 $5.02

29.48%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.31 $2.31

38.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.22 $2.22

41.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.49 $4.49

77.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.36 $6.36

27.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.34 $3.34

58.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.21 $2.21

189.59%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.66 $3.66

38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.04 $11.04

69.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.61 $8.61

117.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.48 $15.48

47.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.49 $4.49

34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 $1.12

74.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.97 $2.97

85.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.32 $4.32

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.63 $1.63

114.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.33 $2.33

41.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.75 $1.75

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.01 $2.01

28.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.21 $8.21

52.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.73 $13.73

8.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.79 $1.79

134.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.30 $4.30

34.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.01 $1.01

201.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$45.87 $45.87

130.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.06 $3.06

-15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$36.06 $36.06

-16.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.01 $1.01

39.60%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.46%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

0.08%

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

$308 $308

$267 $267

15.01%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$59.5 $59.5

16.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.8 $73.8

16.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$38.80 $38.80

97.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$35.60 $35.60

-0.28%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.06 $13.06

37.98%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$758 $758

262.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$71.8 $71.8

10.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$37.02 $37.02

46.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$77.3 $77.3

64.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$126 $126

25.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,107 $1,107

126.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$842 $842

130.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,585 $1,585

222.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,321 $1,321

168.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,947 $1,947

278.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,722 $1,722

190.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,971 $2,971

117.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.36

8.33%

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, MO: 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, MO

$842 38% 56.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Springfield, MO

$339 15.3% 38.1% $208

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Springfield, MO

$401 18.1% 13.4% $62

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Springfield, MO

$368 16.6% 9.5% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Springfield, MO

$141 6.4% 25.5% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Springfield, MO

$60 2.7% 53.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Springfield, MO

$65 2.9% 42.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,107 in Springfield, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $61 in Springfield, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $339 per month, with Springfield, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Springfield, MO

🕒 Local time

17:12 5:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

2 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

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Seattle, WA Springfield, MO 2,630 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Springfield, MO

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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 Springfield, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Springfield, MO is about 41% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.2 times higher, 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 $1,107 in Springfield, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Springfield, MO – a meal for two runs $61 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 $2,215 in Springfield, MO – Springfield, MO is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,215 in Springfield, MO versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Springfield, MO but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Springfield, MO the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.