Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Sunnyvale, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,762 a month against $4,272 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sunnyvale, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
202

Cost of Living Index in Sunnyvale, CA
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Sunnyvale, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Sunnyvale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,272

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Sunnyvale, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $4,272 in Sunnyvale, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Sunnyvale, CA $4,272

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $5,661 in Sunnyvale, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Sunnyvale, CA $5,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $7,051 in Sunnyvale, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Sunnyvale, CA $7,051

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 12% less than in Sunnyvale, CA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Sunnyvale, CA 216% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$25.30 $25.30

-5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$74.0 $74.0

33.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.87 $11.87

25.86%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.41 $5.41

25.51%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.77 $2.77

16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.12 $2.12

48.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.12 $5.12

60.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.10 $6.10

29.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.41 $1.41

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.83 $3.83

38.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.47 $4.47

28.86%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$6.69 $6.69

202.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.34 $13.34

34.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$13.39 $13.39

74.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.16 $2.16

175.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.24 $2.24

-15.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.16 $2.16

147.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.23 $2.23

194.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.49 $2.49

36.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.86 $1.86

54.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.92 $2.92

-1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.98 $0.98

147.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.63 $11.63

4.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$6.06 $6.06

151.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.76 $1.76

148.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.01 $2.01

193.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.53 $2.53

17.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$89.0 $89.0

22.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.61 $2.61

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.04 $2.04

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$29.97 $29.97

-0.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.49 $1.49

1.34%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.5K $28.5K

27.08%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-4.51%

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

$289 $289

$251 $251

15.10%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$41.86 $41.86

64.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$60.6 $60.6

40.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$43.64 $43.64

59.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$17.40 $17.40

101.44%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$15.19 $15.19

18.30%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$2,130 $2,130

32.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$32.6K $32.6K

34.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$63.7 $63.7

43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$35.02 $35.02

57.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$121 $121

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$199 $199

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$3,513 $3,513

-26.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$2,863 $2,863

-32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$5,951 $5,951

-14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$3,988 $3,988

-11.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$10.6K $10.6K

-30.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$8,819 $8,819

-44.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$8,319 $8,319

-22.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.62

2.72%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sunnyvale, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Sunnyvale, CA

$2.9K 67% 47.4% $921

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Sunnyvale, CA

$320 7.5% 41.1% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Sunnyvale, CA

$353 8.3% 20.2% $89

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Sunnyvale, CA

$360 8.4% 9.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Sunnyvale, CA

$188 4.4% 3.8% $7.5

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Sunnyvale, CA

$112 2.6% 15.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Sunnyvale, CA

$74 1.7% 29.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $3,513 in Sunnyvale, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunnyvale, CA pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $74 in Sunnyvale, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $320 per month, with Sunnyvale, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Sunnyvale, CA

🕒 Local time

01:55 1:55 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

152,703

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Sunnyvale, CA 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Sunnyvale, CA

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 Sunnyvale, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Seattle, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $3,513 in Sunnyvale, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sunnyvale, CA – a meal for two runs $74 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,272 in Sunnyvale, CA – Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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 – Seattle, WA wins on affordability, Sunnyvale, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.