Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumter, SC: $2,058 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sumter, SC
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Sumter, SC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Sumter, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,058 in Sumter, SC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Sumter, SC $2,058

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,981 in Sumter, SC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Sumter, SC $2,981

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,903 in Sumter, SC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Sumter, SC $3,903

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 84% more expensive than in Sumter, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Sumter, SC 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.66 $17.66

43.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$54.3 $54.3

85.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.20 $11.20

31.79%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.60 $5.60

16.07%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.84 $1.84

74.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.40 $1.40

124.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.08 $6.08

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.02 $7.02

15.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.97 $0.97

20.62%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.13 $4.13

28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.31 $3.31

93.35%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.26 $4.26

18.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.50 $16.50

13.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.03 $16.03

16.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.92 $17.92

27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.27 $5.27

14.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.69 $4.69

17.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.70 $4.70

38.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.80 $3.80

-8.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.20 $3.20

2.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.27 $2.27

13.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.49 $8.49

47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.70 $15.70

-5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.39 $2.39

75.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.73 $3.73

55.50%

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

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.87 $1.87

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.51 $30.51

-1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.84 $0.84

67.86%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$34.9K $34.9K

5.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.44%

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

$308 $308

$174 $174

76.50%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$67.8 $67.8

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.5 $82.5

4.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$14.89 $14.89

413.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$5.09 $5.09

597.45%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$7.19 $7.19

150.63%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,506 $1,506

82.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.6K $24.6K

24.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$51.7 $51.7

53.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$36.65 $36.65

48.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$93.7 $93.7

35.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$141 $141

12.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,045 $1,045

139.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$801 $801

141.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,338 $1,338

282.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,198 $1,198

195.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,482 $1,482

397.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,455 $1,455

243.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,145 $4,145

56.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.48

6.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sumter, SC: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Sumter, SC

$801 38.9% 58.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Sumter, SC

$446 21.7% 18.5% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Sumter, SC

$325 15.8% 29.9% $138

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Sumter, SC

$299 14.6% 26.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Sumter, SC

$145 7.1% 22.9% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Sumter, SC

$12 * 0.6% 90.4% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Sumter, SC

$29 1.4% 74% $83

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 $1,045 in Sumter, SC. 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 $54 in Sumter, SC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $446 per month, with Sumter, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Sumter, SC

🕒 Local time

00:58 12:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

39,159

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Sumter, SC 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Sumter, 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 Sumter, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sumter, SC is about 46% 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 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 $1,045 in Sumter, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,506 in Sumter, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Sumter, SC – a meal for two runs $54 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,058 in Sumter, SC versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sumter, SC but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Sumter, SC 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 – Sumter, 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.