Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tracy, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Tracy, CA: $2,326 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Tracy, CA
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Tracy, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Tracy, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Tracy, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,326 in Tracy, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Tracy, CA $2,326

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,588 in Tracy, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Tracy, CA $2,588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $2,850 in Tracy, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Tracy, CA $2,850

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 63% more expensive than in Tracy, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Tracy, CA 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.79 $19.79

27.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$50.6 $50.6

99.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.14 $10.14

45.56%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.54 $4.54

43.17%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.94 $2.94

9.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.87 $1.87

67.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.08 $6.08

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.39 $7.39

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.31 $1.31

-10.69%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.34 $4.34

22.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.48 $5.48

16.79%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.48 $3.48

45.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.48 $16.48

13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.96 $10.96

70.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.32 $15.32

49.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.46 $4.46

35.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.26 $2.26

-13.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.37 $4.37

26.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.52 $4.52

44.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.16 $2.16

61.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.38 $3.38

-2.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.03 $2.03

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.97 $1.97

30.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.98 $11.98

4.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.24 $13.24

12.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.01 $2.01

108.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.90 $2.90

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$66.0 $66.0

60.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.44 $2.44

5.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.87 $1.87

-12.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.55 $29.55

1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.51 $1.51

-6.62%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.19%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.29%

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

$308 $308

$181 $181

70.11%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$49.27 $49.27

40.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.7 $76.7

12.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.26 $15.26

18.09%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,566 $2,566

7.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$35.6K $35.6K

-14.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$71.2 $71.2

11.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$69.9 $69.9

-22.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$94.5 $94.5

34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$236 $236

-32.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,818 $1,818

37.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$986 $986

96.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,718 $3,718

98.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,588 $5,588

15.77%

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 Tracy, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Tracy, CA

$986 42.4% 49.2% $953

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Tracy, CA

$406 17.4% 25.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Tracy, CA

$307 13.2% 33.7% $156

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Tracy, CA

$308 13.2% 24.3% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Tracy, CA

$212 9.1% 12.5% $24

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Tracy, CA

$78 * 3.3% 39.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Tracy, CA

$31 * 1.3% 72.9% $82

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 $1,818 in Tracy, CA. 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 $51 in Tracy, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $406 per month, with Tracy, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Tracy, CA

🕒 Local time

00:06 12:06 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

98,337

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Tracy, CA 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Tracy, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tracy, CA is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. 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 $1,818 in Tracy, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Tracy, CA – a meal for two runs $51 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 $2,326 in Tracy, CA – Tracy, CA is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tracy, CA 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 Tracy, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.