Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Starkville, MS

For one person, living is cheaper in Starkville, MS: $1,787 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
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Starkville, MS Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,787

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Starkville, MS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,787 in Starkville, MS.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Starkville, MS $1,787

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,731 in Starkville, MS.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Starkville, MS $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,676 in Starkville, MS.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Starkville, MS $3,676

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 112% more expensive than in Starkville, MS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Starkville, MS 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.92 $14.92

69.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.2 $60.2

67.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$8.35 $8.35

76.77%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.19 $4.19

55.13%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.37 $2.37

35.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.84 $1.84

70.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.09 $4.09

94.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.98 $6.98

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.87 $0.87

34.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.19 $3.19

66.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.62 $2.62

144.27%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.22 $4.22

19.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.77 $9.77

91.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.62 $11.62

61.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.00 $15.00

52.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.86 $3.86

56.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.39 $1.39

40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.30 $3.30

66.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.04 $3.04

114.47%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.15 $2.15

62.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.26 $2.26

45.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.19 $2.19

27.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.93 $1.93

33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.43 $8.43

48.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$9.86 $9.86

50.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.73 $1.73

142.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.15 $3.15

84.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.18 $4.18

-38.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.87 $1.87

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.65 $32.65

-7.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.86 $0.86

63.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.0K $30.0K

22.76%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.45%

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

$308 $308

$168 $168

82.69%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$29.80 $29.80

132.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$53.7 $53.7

60.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$17.46 $17.46

337.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$8.04 $8.04

124.13%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,567 $1,567

75.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$8,234 $8,234

271.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$74.9 $74.9

5.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$53.5 $53.5

1.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$87.6 $87.6

44.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$171 $171

-6.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$946 $946

165.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$735 $735

163.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,536 $1,536

233.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,344 $1,344

163.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,185 $2,185

237.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,184 $2,184

128.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,153 $4,153

55.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.65

3.61%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Starkville, MS: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Starkville, MS

$735 41.1% 62.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Starkville, MS

$334 18.7% 38.9% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Starkville, MS

$252 14.1% 45.6% $211

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Starkville, MS

$246 13.8% 39.5% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Starkville, MS

$174 9.7% 7.8% $15

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8% 89.5% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9% 70.2% $79

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 $946 in Starkville, MS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $60 in Starkville, MS for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $334 per month, with Starkville, MS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🕒 Local time

02:41 2:41 AM

04:41 4:41 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

22,638

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Starkville, MS 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Starkville, MS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Starkville, MS is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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 $946 in Starkville, MS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,567 in Starkville, MS. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Starkville, MS – a meal for two runs $60 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,787 in Starkville, MS versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Starkville, MS but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Starkville, MS 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.

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