Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Sterling

For one person, living is cheaper in Sterling: $2,814 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Sterling

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,814 in Sterling.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Sterling $2,814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,314 in Sterling.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Sterling $4,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,814 in Sterling.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Sterling $5,814

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Sterling, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Sterling 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.81 $18.81

34.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$75.5 $75.5

33.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.94 $11.94

23.62%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.07 $6.07

7.08%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.97 $2.97

8.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.52 $2.52

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.47 $5.47

45.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.83 $7.83

3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.10 $1.10

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.06 $4.06

30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.18 $5.18

23.55%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.48 $5.48

-7.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$17.09 $17.09

9.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.76 $14.76

26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.69 $18.69

22.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.57 $5.57

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.28 $2.28

-14.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.98 $4.98

10.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.74 $5.74

13.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.95 $2.95

18.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.92 $3.92

-16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.36 $2.36

18.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.76 $2.76

-6.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.03 $10.03

24.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.88 $13.88

7.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.24 $2.24

87.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.76 $5.76

0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.08 $5.08

-39.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.06 $3.06

-15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.49 $1.49

10.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$22.06 $22.06

36.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.04 $1.04

35.58%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.9K $34.9K

5.48%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.36%

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

$308 $308

$156 $156

97.24%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.3 $50.3

37.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$78.1 $78.1

10.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$29.14 $29.14

162.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$18.21 $18.21

-1.04%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,890 $1,890

45.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$32.0K $32.0K

-4.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$53.5 $53.5

47.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$45.89 $45.89

18.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.8 $86.8

46.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$105 $105

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,245 $1,245

101.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,503 $1,503

28.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,010 $2,010

154.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,860 $2,860

23.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,292 $3,292

124.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,321 $2,321

115.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,746 $3,746

72.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.63

3.92%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sterling: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Sterling

$1.5K 53.4% 22.5% $436

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Sterling

$475 16.9% 13.1% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Sterling

$284 10.1% 38.6% $178

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Sterling

$324 11.5% 20.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Sterling

$131 4.7% 30.5% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Sterling

$31 * 1.1% 76.1% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Sterling

$66 2.3% 41.7% $47

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 $1,245 in Sterling. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $75 in Sterling for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $475 per month, with Sterling cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Sterling

🕒 Local time

14:15 2:15 PM

16:15 4:15 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

14,782

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Sterling 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Sterling: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sterling is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 73% 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 $1,245 in Sterling. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,890 in Sterling. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sterling – a meal for two runs $75 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sterling 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 – Sterling wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.