Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and St. Louis, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Louis, MO: $2,552 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
125

Cost of Living Index in St. Louis, MO
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St. Louis, MO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

St. Louis, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,552

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in St. Louis, 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 St. Louis, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,552 in St. Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,782
St. Louis, MO $2,552

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,739 in St. Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,636
St. Louis, MO $3,739

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,926 in St. Louis, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,489
St. Louis, MO $4,926

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 48% more expensive than in St. Louis, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, St. Louis, MO 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.92 $18.92

29.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.9 $75.9

29.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.06 $11.06

33.73%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.16 $5.16

26.36%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.49 $2.49

29.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.02 $2.02

56.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.91 $5.91

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.18 $7.18

11.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.05 $1.05

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.44 $3.44

49.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.38 $4.38

38.13%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.19 $4.19

16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.37 $12.37

55.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.26 $11.26

67.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$15.45 $15.45

50.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.98 $4.98

20.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.64 $1.64

17.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.14 $4.14

26.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.81 $4.81

36.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.89 $2.89

25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.88 $2.88

14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.08 $2.08

33.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.11 $2.11

18.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.55 $9.55

27.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.07 $14.07

5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.76 $1.76

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.28 $3.28

75.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.96 $1.96

50.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.58 $3.58

-25.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.63 $1.63

5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.91 $28.91

2.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.86 $0.86

73.26%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.9K $29.9K

20.12%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.41%

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

$302 $302

$185 $185

63.18%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$51.9 $51.9

35.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$67.8 $67.8

25.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.19 $42.19

84.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.41 $13.41

33.04%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,311 $1,311

126.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.1K $23.1K

35.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$50.3 $50.3

52.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.37 $40.37

33.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$86.3 $86.3

48.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$112 $112

46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,620 $1,620

50.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,335 $1,335

45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,663 $2,663

78.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,213 $2,213

56.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,773 $2,773

165.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,463 $2,463

108.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for St. Louis, MO: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

St. Louis, MO

$1.3K 52.3% 31.4% $612

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

St. Louis, MO

$386 15.1% 29.3% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

St. Louis, MO

$305 11.9% 33.4% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

St. Louis, MO

$308 12.1% 22.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

St. Louis, MO

$130 5.1% 31.7% $60

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

St. Louis, MO

$20 * 0.8% 84.9% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

St. Louis, MO

$69 2.7% 39.2% $45

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,620 in St. Louis, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in St. Louis, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $386 per month, with St. Louis, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 St. Louis, MO

🕒 Local time

16:02 4:02 PM

18:02 6:02 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

301,578

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA St. Louis, MO 2,770 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
St. Louis, MO

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 St. Louis, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

St. Louis, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,828 in St. Louis, MO to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,620 in St. Louis, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,311 in St. Louis, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in St. Louis, MO – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. St. Louis, MO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, St. Louis, MO is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find St. Louis, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.