Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Union City, TN: $1,653 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
Learn more

Union City, TN Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Union City, TN

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $1,653 in Union City, TN.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Union City, TN $1,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $2,486 in Union City, TN.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Union City, TN $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,318 in Union City, TN.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Union City, TN $3,318

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 129% more expensive than in Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Union City, TN 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$9.87 $9.87

148.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$50.3 $50.3

95.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$6.95 $6.95

112.81%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.11 $3.11

109.65%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.20 $2.20

46.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.56 $1.56

103.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.90 $3.90

101.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.89 $3.89

106.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.92 $0.92

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.38 $2.38

115.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.07 $2.07

192.27%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.69 $2.69

81.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$7.88 $7.88

143.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.85 $8.85

113.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.69 $18.69

24.72%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.44 $4.44

34.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.26 $1.26

53.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.70 $2.70

94.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.43 $4.43

48.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.19 $2.19

65.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.83 $1.83

80.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.77 $1.77

57.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.38 $1.38

81.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$6.83 $6.83

78.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.97 $13.97

6.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.05 $2.05

105.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.84 $1.84

213.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.85 $1.85

59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.85 $4.85

-45.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.52 $1.52

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$21.16 $21.16

40.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.83 $0.83

79.52%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$37.1K $37.1K

-3.17%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

-3.79%

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

$302 $302

$228 $228

32.31%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$33.13 $33.13

111.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.2 $75.2

13.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.53 $41.53

87.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$7.06 $7.06

389.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.82 $14.82

20.38%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,465 $1,465

102.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.8K $30.8K

1.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$55.4 $55.4

38.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.06 $43.06

25.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$90.9 $90.9

41.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$136 $136

20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$724 $724

237.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$585 $585

232.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,155 $1,155

310.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,099 $1,099

215.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,327 $2,327

216.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,591 $2,591

97.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,019 $2,019

222.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.55

5.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 70% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 42.4% $231

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 26.4% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 55.1% $220

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 23% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 84.6% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 37.3% $42

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 $724 in Union City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 222% 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 $50.0 in Union City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $315 per month, with Union City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

00:23 12:23 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

63,930

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Union City, TN 2,990 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Union City, TN

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, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union City, TN is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 129% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 222% 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 $724 in Union City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,465 in Union City, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Union City, TN – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Union City, TN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Union City, TN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Union City, TN 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 Union City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 129% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.