Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Thornton, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Thornton, CO: $2,887 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Thornton, CO
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Thornton, CO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Thornton, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Thornton, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,887 in Thornton, CO.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Thornton, CO $2,887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,977 in Thornton, CO.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Thornton, CO $3,977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,068 in Thornton, CO.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Thornton, CO $5,068

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Thornton, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Thornton, CO 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.21 $20.21

25.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.0 $84.0

20.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.03 $13.03

13.28%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.90 $5.90

10.17%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.00 $3.00

7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.27 $2.27

38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.12 $7.12

11.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.05 $8.05

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.24 $3.24

63.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.29 $4.29

49.18%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.10 $5.10

-0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.77 $14.77

26.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.72 $13.72

36.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.16 $19.16

19.42%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.26 $5.26

15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.16 $2.16

-9.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.50 $4.50

22.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.65 $4.65

40.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.64 $2.64

32.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.50 $2.50

31.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.40 $2.40

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.20 $10.20

22.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$19.18 $19.18

-22.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.78 $2.78

50.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.76 $4.76

21.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.40 $3.40

-24.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.39 $1.39

17.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.76 $24.76

21.65%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

28.97%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.63%

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

$308 $308

$165 $165

86.59%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$77.5 $77.5

-10.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$86.6 $86.6

-0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$55.7 $55.7

37.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$9.96 $9.96

256.43%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.02 $15.02

19.97%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,579 $1,579

73.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

23.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$58.3 $58.3

35.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.21 $39.21

38.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$83.1 $83.1

52.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$124 $124

27.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,743 $1,743

43.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,535 $1,535

26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,628 $2,628

94.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,029 $2,029

74.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,576 $5,576

16.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.72

2.53%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Thornton, CO: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Thornton, CO

$1.5K 53.2% 20.8% $403

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Thornton, CO

$445 15.4% 18.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Thornton, CO

$329 11.4% 28.9% $134

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Thornton, CO

$344 11.9% 15.2% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Thornton, CO

$137 4.8% 27.3% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Thornton, CO

$10 * 0.4% 92% $119

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Thornton, CO

$86 3% 23.8% $27

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,743 in Thornton, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 16% 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 $84 in Thornton, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $445 per month, with Thornton, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Thornton, CO

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

139,478

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Thornton, CO 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Thornton, CO

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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 Thornton, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thornton, CO is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 16% 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 $1,743 in Thornton, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,579 in Thornton, CO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Thornton, CO – a meal for two runs $84 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Thornton, CO 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 – Thornton, CO wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.