Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Union City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,110 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Union City, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
198

Cost of Living Index in Union City, CA
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Union City, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Union City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,110 in Union City, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Union City, CA $4,110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,063 in Union City, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Union City, CA $6,063

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,017 in Union City, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Union City, CA $8,017

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 8% less than in Union City, CA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Union City, CA 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.07 $22.07

14.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.08 $13.08

12.84%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.57 $5.57

16.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.07 $3.07

4.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.35 $2.35

33.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.15 $8.15

-2.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.90 $9.90

-17.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.24 $1.24

-5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.45 $4.45

19.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.02 $4.02

59.20%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.93 $5.93

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$19.48 $19.48

-3.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.20 $13.20

41.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$8.87 $8.87

157.95%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.25 $5.25

15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.96 $1.96

-0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.83 $2.83

94.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.54 $4.54

43.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.25 $2.25

55.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.97 $2.97

10.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.41 $2.41

16.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.71 $11.71

6.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.64 $15.64

-4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.50 $2.50

67.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.33 $3.33

74.17%

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

$3.59 $3.59

-28.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.91 $1.91

-14.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.59 $29.59

1.79%

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

33.52%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.63%

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

$308 $308

$269 $269

14.26%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$48.69 $48.69

42.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$82.2 $82.2

4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.35 $41.35

84.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$16.30 $16.30

10.55%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,855 $1,855

48.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$39.3K $39.3K

-22.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$41.50 $41.50

90.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$50.6 $50.6

7.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$87.6 $87.6

44.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,520 $3,520

-28.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,700 $2,700

-28.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,762 $4,762

7.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,896 $4,896

-27.65%

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

$7,256 $7,256

-10.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Union City, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Union City, CA

$2.7K 65.7% 39.3% $761

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Union City, CA

$423 10.3% 22.7% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Union City, CA

$400 9.7% 13.5% $63

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Union City, CA

$365 8.9% 10.2% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Union City, CA

$135 3.3% 28.3% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Union City, CA

$13 * 0.3% 89.8% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Union City, CA

$74 1.8% 34.3% $39

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 $3,520 in Union City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, CA pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $101 in Union City, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $423, with Union City, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Union City, CA

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

63,930

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Union City, CA 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Seattle, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $3,520 in Union City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Union City, CA pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,855 in Union City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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 – Seattle, WA wins on affordability, Union City, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.