Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tamarindo

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarindo: $2,127 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,127 in Tamarindo.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Tamarindo $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,081 in Tamarindo.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Tamarindo $3,081

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,035 in Tamarindo.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Tamarindo $4,035

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Tamarindo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Tamarindo 58% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$12.18 ₡5,463

107.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$62.3 ₡28.0K

62.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.87 ₡5,324

25.11%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.34 ₡1,948

51.84%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.65 ₡1,188

21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.91 ₡856

64.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.27 ₡1,465

150.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.56 ₡2,043

76.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.42 ₡1,085

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.12 ₡1,400

64.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.42 ₡1,088

160.33%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.47 ₡1,556

41.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.53 ₡4,721

81.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.52 ₡4,716

75.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$14.17 ₡6,354

62.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$5.21 ₡2,336

11.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.60 ₡717

21.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.54 ₡1,588

49.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.90 ₡1,747

66.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.55 ₡1,141

40.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.71 ₡1,665

-15.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.09 ₡487

161.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.07 ₡1,376

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$5.20 ₡2,331

145.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.18 ₡5,912

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.78 ₡1,249

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.09 ₡1,385

93.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.07 ₡929

46.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$85.4 ₡38.3K

28.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.38 ₡1,065

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.63 ₡729

0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$6.64 ₡2,978

345.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.50 ₡675

-5.33%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$22.4K ₡10.0M

59.85%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.7K ₡15.6M

-26.36%

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

$299 $299

$93.5 ₡41.9K

219.66%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$30.01 ₡13.5K

135.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$59.1 ₡26.5K

49.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$101 ₡45.3K

-21.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$26.01 ₡11.7K

35.99%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$7.90 ₡3,543

116.71%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$575 ₡257.7K

424.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$9,081 ₡4.1M

248.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$71.5 ₡32.1K

8.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$26.29 ₡11.8K

109.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$120 ₡53.7K

4.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$131 ₡58.9K

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,921 ₡861.5K

28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$960 ₡430.6K

103.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,738 ₡1.2M

72.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,371 ₡614.9K

158.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$5,341 ₡2.4M

37.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,241 ₡1.5M

55.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$949 ₡425.7K

562.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.62

-20.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Tamarindo

$960 45.1% 50.9% $996

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Tamarindo

$378 17.8% 30.3% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Tamarindo

$183 8.6% 60.1% $275

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Tamarindo

$229 10.8% 44% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Tamarindo

$157 7.4% 17.1% $32

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Tamarindo

$104 4.9% 21.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Tamarindo

$117 5.5% 2.7% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,921 in Tamarindo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 562% 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 $62.0 in Tamarindo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $378 per month, with Tamarindo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

19:39 7:39 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

6,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Tamarindo 5,370 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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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 Tamarindo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tamarindo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 79% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 562% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,921 in Tamarindo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tamarindo – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,127 in Tamarindo – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Tamarindo is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tamarindo is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Tamarindo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tamarindo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.