Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Union, SC: $2,365 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,365

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,365 in Union, SC.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Union, SC $2,365

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,557 in Union, SC.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Union, SC $3,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,749 in Union, SC.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Union, SC $4,749

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Union, SC 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$8.74 $8.74

172.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$99.8 $99.8

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$8.67 $8.67

72.32%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.69 $5.69

19.33%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.20 $2.20

46.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.83 $1.83

72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$2.76 $2.76

197.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.40 $3.40

131.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.36 $3.36

57.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.47 $2.47

133.20%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.19 $3.19

53.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$8.90 $8.90

127.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.02 $13.02

37.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$14.96 $14.96

56.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.75 $2.75

116.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.29 $1.29

46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.27 $3.27

63.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.34 $4.34

51.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.29 $2.29

48.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.05 $2.05

40.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.74 $1.74

66.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.23 $1.23

97.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.47 $8.47

43.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$8.77 $8.77

73.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.80 $1.80

143.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$5.22 $5.22

12.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.20 $2.20

34.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$55.0 $55.0

98.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.78 $2.78

-9.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.07 $3.07

-43.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$35.57 $35.57

-16.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.1K $28.1K

28.66%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

-1.00%

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

$289 $289

$177 $177

63.59%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$63.8 $63.8

8.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$45.59 $45.59

86.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.28 $40.28

72.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$11.72 $11.72

53.33%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$2,537 $2,537

11.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$32.6K $32.6K

34.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$47.50 $47.50

91.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$20.79 $20.79

164.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.1 $84.1

51.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$100 $100

61.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,350 $1,350

91.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,289 $1,289

50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,217 $2,217

130.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,191 $2,191

61.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,783 $2,783

164.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,649 $2,649

85.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$2,430 $2,430

165.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

70.00%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.5% 33.6% $653

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Union, SC

$330 13.9% 39.4% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Union, SC

$286 12.1% 35.4% $157

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Union, SC

$201 8.5% 49.6% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Union, SC

$114 4.8% 42% $82

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Union, SC

$82 3.5% 38% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Union, SC

$64 2.7% 39.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,350 in Union, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $100 in Union, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $544 vs $330, with Union, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Union, SC 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Union, SC

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, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union, SC is about 37% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.7 times higher, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,350 in Union, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $2,537 in Union, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Union, SC runs roughly 50% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Union, SC 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 – Union, SC wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.