Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ukiah, CA: $2,567 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Ukiah, CA
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Ukiah, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Ukiah, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Ukiah, 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 Ukiah, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,567 in Ukiah, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Ukiah, CA $2,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,809 in Ukiah, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Ukiah, CA $3,809

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,051 in Ukiah, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Ukiah, CA $5,051

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Ukiah, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Ukiah, CA 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.89 $20.89

21.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$54.7 $54.7

84.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.12 $11.12

32.73%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.51 $5.51

17.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.93 $2.93

9.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.32 $2.32

35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.94 $4.94

61.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.09 $6.09

33.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.19 $1.19

-1.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.06 $4.06

30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.01 $5.01

27.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$6.13 $6.13

-17.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.98 $11.98

56.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$7.86 $7.86

138.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.05 $18.05

26.76%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.37 $4.37

38.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.18 $2.18

-10.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$8.38 $8.38

-34.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.65 $6.65

-1.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.19 $5.19

-32.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.98 $2.98

10.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.53 $2.53

10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.71 $11.71

6.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$19.83 $19.83

-25.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.69 $1.69

147.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.65 $3.65

58.90%

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

$3.22 $3.22

-19.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.33 $2.33

-29.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$40.03 $40.03

-24.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.54 $1.54

-8.44%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

32.29%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

0.54%

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

$308 $308

$191 $191

61.08%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$63.1 $63.1

9.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$67.1 $67.1

28.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$106 $106

-28.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$12.07 $12.07

49.30%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,483 $1,483

85.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$37.1K $37.1K

-17.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$36.85 $36.85

114.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$14.93 $14.93

263.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$85.5 $85.5

48.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$141 $141

12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,491 $1,491

68.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,199 $1,199

61.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,326 $2,326

120.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,134 $2,134

66.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,095 $4,095

80.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,040 $4,040

23.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.77

1.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ukiah, 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%

Ukiah, CA

$1.2K 46.7% 38.1% $739

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Ukiah, CA

$452 17.6% 17.4% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Ukiah, CA

$321 12.5% 30.6% $142

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Ukiah, CA

$325 12.6% 20.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Ukiah, CA

$125 4.9% 33.6% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Ukiah, CA

$15 * 0.6% 88.5% $114

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Ukiah, CA

$130 5.1% 15.9% $18

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 $1,491 in Ukiah, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $55 in Ukiah, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $452 per month, with Ukiah, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Ukiah, CA

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

16,036

💱 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 Ukiah, CA 940 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Ukiah, CA

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 Ukiah, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ukiah, CA is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $3,851 in Ukiah, CA 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,491 in Ukiah, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,483 in Ukiah, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ukiah, CA – a meal for two runs $55 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,567 in Ukiah, CA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ukiah, CA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Ukiah, CA 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.