Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tampa, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Tampa, FL: $3,029 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Tampa, FL
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Tampa, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Tampa, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,029

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Tampa, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,029 in Tampa, FL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Tampa, FL $3,029

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,461 in Tampa, FL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Tampa, FL $4,461

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,893 in Tampa, FL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Tampa, FL $5,893

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Tampa, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Tampa, FL 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.72 $19.72

28.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.1 $76.1

32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.21 $12.21

20.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.78 $5.78

12.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.15 $3.15

1.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.37 $2.37

32.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.06 $7.06

12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.86 $8.86

-8.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.27 $1.27

-7.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.96 $3.96

33.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.99 $4.99

28.26%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.55 $3.55

42.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.16 $14.16

32.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.23 $11.23

66.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$20.68 $20.68

10.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.58 $5.58

8.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.77 $1.77

10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.33 $3.33

65.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.80 $3.80

71.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.57 $2.57

35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.08 $3.08

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.45 $2.45

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.39 $2.39

7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.31 $9.31

34.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.73 $14.73

0.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.60 $2.60

61.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.40 $5.40

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.04 $2.04

49.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$65.2 $65.2

62.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.52 $1.52

7.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$19.99 $19.99

50.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.03 $1.03

36.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$32.9K $32.9K

11.81%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.20%

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

$308 $308

$209 $209

47.19%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$72.3 $72.3

-4.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$77.0 $77.0

11.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$45.66 $45.66

67.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$20.76 $20.76

71.00%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.77 $15.77

14.27%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,451 $1,451

89.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$22.0K $22.0K

38.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.4 $55.4

42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.36 $44.36

22.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.9 $88.9

42.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$120 $120

32.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,202 $2,202

13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,608 $1,608

20.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,835 $3,835

33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,781 $2,781

27.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$6,140 $6,140

20.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,270 $2,270

120.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,639 $4,639

39.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.4

7.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tampa, FL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Tampa, FL

$1.6K 53.1% 17% $330

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Tampa, FL

$424 14% 22.6% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Tampa, FL

$358 11.8% 22.6% $105

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Tampa, FL

$339 11.2% 16.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Tampa, FL

$139 4.6% 26.4% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Tampa, FL

$84 2.8% 35.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Tampa, FL

$77 2.6% 31.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,202 in Tampa, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Tampa, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $424 per month, with Tampa, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Tampa, FL

🕒 Local time

01:21 1:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

332,888

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Tampa, FL 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Tampa, FL

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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 Tampa, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampa, FL is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $2,202 in Tampa, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tampa, FL – a meal for two runs $76 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,029 in Tampa, FL – Tampa, FL is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Tampa, FL 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.

Expats usually find Tampa, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.