Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Summerville, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Summerville, SC: $3,315 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Summerville, SC
Learn more

Summerville, SC Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Summerville, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Summerville, SC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,315 in Summerville, SC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Summerville, SC $3,315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,958 in Summerville, SC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Summerville, SC $4,958

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,600 in Summerville, SC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Summerville, SC $6,600

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 14% more expensive than in Summerville, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Summerville, SC 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.05 $18.05

40.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$99.0 $99.0

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.02 $12.02

22.80%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.60 $6.60

-1.52%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.29 $3.29

-2.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.17 $2.17

44.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.38 $8.38

-4.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.97 $7.97

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.38 $4.38

21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.55 $6.55

-2.29%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.32 $3.32

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.53 $15.53

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$24.89 $24.89

-24.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$23.40 $23.40

-2.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.91 $7.91

-23.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.92 $1.92

1.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$8.78 $8.78

-37.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$7.74 $7.74

-15.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.78 $3.78

-7.67%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.55 $4.55

-27.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.24 $3.24

-13.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.70 $2.70

-4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.32 $11.32

10.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.95 $12.95

14.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.44 $2.44

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.42 $2.42

139.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$0.73 $0.73

317.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$30.04 $30.04

252.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.12 $5.12

-49.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.53 $1.53

7.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$34.40 $34.40

-12.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.91 $0.91

54.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.9K $30.9K

19.06%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$33.2K $33.2K

-19.96%

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

$308 $308

$213 $213

44.32%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$98.0 $98.0

-29.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.9 $82.9

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$33.03 $33.03

131.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.75 $14.75

22.17%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,476 $1,476

86.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.7K $21.7K

40.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.3 $55.3

43.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.57 $42.57

27.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$96.9 $96.9

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$117 $117

35.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,153 $2,153

16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,765 $1,765

9.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,857 $3,857

32.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,088 $3,088

14.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,882 $4,882

32.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Summerville, SC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Summerville, SC

$1.8K 53.2% 8.9% $173

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Summerville, SC

$568 17.1% 3.9% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Summerville, SC

$394 11.9% 14.9% $69

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Summerville, SC

$339 10.2% 16.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Summerville, SC

$141 4.2% 25.5% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Summerville, SC

$46 1.4% 64.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Summerville, SC

$63 1.9% 44.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,153 in Summerville, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $99 in Summerville, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $568, with Seattle, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Summerville, SC

🕒 Local time

01:04 1:04 AM

04:04 4:04 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

50,738

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Summerville, SC 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Summerville, SC

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 Summerville, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Summerville, SC is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $2,153 in Summerville, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,476 in Summerville, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Summerville, SC runs roughly 72% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Summerville, SC 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 – Summerville, SC wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.