Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Traverse City, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Traverse City, MI: $2,666 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
130

Cost of Living Index in Traverse City, MI
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Traverse City, MI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Traverse City, MI

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 Traverse City, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Traverse City, MI $2,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,947 in Traverse City, MI.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Traverse City, MI $3,947

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,228 in Traverse City, MI.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Traverse City, MI $5,228

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Traverse City, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Traverse City, MI 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$21.49 $21.49

14.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$77.4 $77.4

26.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.34 $11.34

30.42%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.78 $4.78

36.40%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.48 $2.48

30.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.08 $2.08

52.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.90 $4.90

60.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.53 $6.53

22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.73 $0.73

65.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.07 $3.07

67.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.36 $4.36

38.76%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.67 $2.67

82.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$19.14 $19.14

0.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.34 $12.34

53.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$22.33 $22.33

4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.84 $6.84

-12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.44 $1.44

34.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.84 $3.84

36.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.69 $6.69

-1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.70 $2.70

34.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.15 $3.15

5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.36 $2.36

17.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$5.96 $5.96

104.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.02 $15.02

-1.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.00 $2.00

111.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$7.01 $7.01

-17.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$6.02 $6.02

-51.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$30.60 $30.60

247.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.02 $1.02

46.08%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$35.0K $35.0K

2.55%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.0K $26.0K

0.93%

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

$302 $302

$116 $116

160.12%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$37.85 $37.85

85.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$68.8 $68.8

23.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$62.7 $62.7

24.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$9.81 $9.81

81.86%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,017 $1,017

192.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$11.3K $11.3K

176.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$58.2 $58.2

31.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.93 $40.93

32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$101 $101

27.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$87.4 $87.4

87.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,958 $1,958

24.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,404 $1,404

38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,796 $3,796

24.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,317 $2,317

49.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,395 $3,395

117.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$3,324 $3,324

54.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,796 $2,796

132.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.32

9.02%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Traverse City, MI: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Traverse City, MI

$1.4K 52.7% 27.9% $543

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Traverse City, MI

$453 17% 16.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Traverse City, MI

$223 8.4% 51.3% $235

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Traverse City, MI

$319 12% 20.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Traverse City, MI

$129 4.9% 32.1% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Traverse City, MI

$55 * 2.1% 57.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Traverse City, MI

$82 3.1% 27.5% $31

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 133% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $77.0 in Traverse City, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $453 per month, with Traverse City, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

11:40 11:40 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

15,678

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Traverse City, MI 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Traverse City, MI

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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 Traverse City, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Traverse City, MI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 133% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,958 in Traverse City, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Traverse City, MI – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,666 in Traverse City, MI – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Traverse City, MI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Traverse City, MI 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.

Expats usually find Traverse City, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.