Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Temple, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Temple, TX: $2,413 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Temple, TX
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Temple, TX Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Temple, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,413

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Temple, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,413 in Temple, TX.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Temple, TX $2,413

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,282 in Temple, TX.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Temple, TX $3,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,151 in Temple, TX.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Temple, TX $4,151

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 57% more expensive than in Temple, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Temple, TX 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.30 $18.30

38.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$49.93 $49.93

102.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.07 $9.07

62.73%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.86 $4.86

33.74%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.88 $2.88

11.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.65 $1.65

90.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.58 $3.58

122.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.94 $3.94

106.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.86 $0.86

36.05%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.19 $2.19

142.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.03 $4.03

58.81%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.89 $2.89

75.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$8.67 $8.67

115.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.03 $9.03

107.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.33 $15.33

49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.16 $5.16

17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.60 $1.60

21.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.31 $4.31

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.49 $3.49

86.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.11 $2.11

65.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.49 $2.49

32.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.61 $1.61

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.90 $1.90

35.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.09 $10.09

23.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$8.81 $8.81

68.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.10 $2.10

99.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.35 $2.35

146.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.97 $1.97

54.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$49.65 $49.65

113.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.71 $1.71

-4.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.10 $24.10

24.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.73 $0.73

93.15%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

45.45%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.0K $25.0K

6.46%

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

$308 $308

$208 $208

47.57%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$43.62 $43.62

58.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$83.1 $83.1

3.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$17.34 $17.34

340.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.12 $12.12

48.68%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,944 $1,944

41.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$28.0K $28.0K

9.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$19.13 $19.13

313.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.3 $50.3

7.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.2 $86.2

47.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$85.2 $85.2

86.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,458 $1,458

72.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,264 $1,264

53.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,077 $2,077

146.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,757 $1,757

101.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,743 $1,743

323.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,717 $1,717

191.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,914 $3,914

65.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Temple, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Temple, TX

$1.3K 52.4% 34.8% $674

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Temple, TX

$319 13.2% 41.7% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Temple, TX

$335 13.9% 27.6% $128

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Temple, TX

$276 11.4% 32.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Temple, TX

$108 4.5% 42.6% $80

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Temple, TX

$69 2.9% 46.4% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Temple, TX

$42 1.7% 63% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,458 in Temple, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $50 in Temple, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $319 per month, with Temple, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Temple, TX

🕒 Local time

02:40 2:40 AM

04:40 4:40 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

82,073

💱 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 Temple, TX 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Temple, TX

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 Temple, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Temple, TX is about 36% 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 65% 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 $1,458 in Temple, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Temple, TX – a meal for two runs $50 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 $2,413 in Temple, TX – Temple, TX is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,413 in Temple, TX versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Temple, TX but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Temple, TX 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.

Expats usually find Temple, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.