Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tena

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $35,600 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $831 in Tena.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Tena $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $1,425 in Tena.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Tena $1,425

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $2,018 in Tena.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Tena $2,018

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 357% more expensive than in Tena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 182% above, Tena is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$6.03 $6.03

319.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$54.9 $54.9

84.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$7.61 $7.61

95.14%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.39 $3.39

94.40%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.38 $1.38

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.10 $1.10

185.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.45 $3.45

137.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.09 $6.09

31.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.15 $1.15

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.53 $1.53

234.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$1.56 $1.56

303.85%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.16 $2.16

126.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$6.41 $6.41

197.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$5.63 $5.63

228.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$7.77 $7.77

196.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$2.22 $2.22

161.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.18 $1.18

65.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$1.27 $1.27

316.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$1.13 $1.13

473.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.19 $1.19

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.07 $1.07

194.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.92 $0.92

209.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.05 $1.05

130.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$5.87 $5.87

117.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$9.91 $9.91

51.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.59 $1.59

162.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.17 $3.17

88.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$0.33 $0.33

821.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$16.94 $16.94

549.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.51 $1.51

68.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.76 $0.76

115.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$9.95 $9.95

197.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.80 $0.80

77.50%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

68.08%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

-10.34%

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

$299 $299

$29.16 $29.16

925.41%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$17.66 $17.66

301.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$28.72 $28.72

207.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$32.43 $32.43

145.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$15.44 $15.44

129.08%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$6.45 $6.45

165.43%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$226 $226

1231.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$8,840 $8,840

257.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$69.8 $69.8

10.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$50.4 $50.4

9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$114 $114

10.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$106 $106

53.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$300 $300

720.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$186 $186

954.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$728 $728

547.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$417 $417

751.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$1,120 $1,120

556.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$717 $717

603.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

10.12

-32.31%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Tena

$186 22.3% 90.5% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Tena

$197 23.8% 63.6% $344

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Tena

$76 9.1% 83.5% $383

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Tena

$151 18.2% 63% $257

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Tena

$153 18.4% 19.2% $36

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Tena

$24 2.8% 82.3% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Tena

$45 5.5% 60.1% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $300 in Tena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $55.0 in Tena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $197 per month, with Tena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇪🇨 Tena

🕒 Local time

00:31 12:31 AM

02:31 2:31 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

16,669

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Tena 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tena is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 357% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,701 in Seattle, WA and $1,247 in Tena to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $300 in Tena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tena – a meal for two runs $55.0 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 $831 in Tena – a 357% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $831 in Tena versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Tena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Tena 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 Tena 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 Tena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 357% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.