Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Upper Marlboro, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Upper Marlboro, MD: $2,636 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Upper Marlboro, MD
Learn more

Upper Marlboro, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Upper Marlboro, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,636

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Upper Marlboro, MD

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 Upper Marlboro, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Upper Marlboro, MD $2,636

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,086 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Upper Marlboro, MD $4,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,535 in Upper Marlboro, MD.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Upper Marlboro, MD $5,535

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 44% more expensive than in Upper Marlboro, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Upper Marlboro, MD 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.87 $22.87

10.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$91.6 $91.6

10.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.18 $10.18

44.99%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.25 $6.25

4.00%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.79 $2.79

15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.63 $2.63

19.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$9.95 $9.95

-19.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.86 $9.86

-17.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.29 $1.29

-9.30%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.51 $4.51

17.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.15 $7.15

-10.49%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.78 $5.78

-12.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.40 $16.40

14.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.24 $16.24

15.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.67 $18.67

22.55%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.07 $5.07

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 $1.65

18.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.14 $5.14

7.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.21 $5.21

25.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.94 $2.94

18.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.01 $2.01

63.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.07 $2.07

35.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.80 $2.80

-7.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.34 $13.34

-6.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.75 $14.75

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.70 $1.70

146.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.07 $5.07

14.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.97 $1.97

54.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$64.5 $64.5

64.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.06 $4.06

-36.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.62 $1.62

1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.88 $24.88

21.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.14 $1.14

23.68%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

32.44%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.34%

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

$308 $308

$158 $158

94.24%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$82.7 $82.7

-16.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.7 $76.7

12.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.18 $41.18

85.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.03 $17.03

5.81%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,241 $2,241

22.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$41.3K $41.3K

-25.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.02 $47.02

68.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$35.91 $35.91

51.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$105 $105

20.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$119 $119

33.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,413 $1,413

77.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,160 $1,160

67.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,465 $2,465

107.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,180 $2,180

62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,741 $2,741

169.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,336 $2,336

114.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$7,979 $7,979

-18.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.63

3.92%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Upper Marlboro, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$1.2K 44% 40.1% $778

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$481 18.2% 12.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$318 12.1% 31.4% $145

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$380 14.4% 6.5% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$138 5.2% 26.8% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$85 3.2% 34.4% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Upper Marlboro, MD

$75 2.9% 33.1% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upper Marlboro, MD pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $92 in Upper Marlboro, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $481 per month, with Upper Marlboro, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Upper Marlboro, MD

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

17:35 5:35 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Upper Marlboro, MD 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Upper Marlboro, MD

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 Upper Marlboro, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Upper Marlboro, MD is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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 $1,413 in Upper Marlboro, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Upper Marlboro, MD – a meal for two runs $92 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,636 in Upper Marlboro, MD – Upper Marlboro, MD is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Upper Marlboro, MD 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.

Expats usually find Upper Marlboro, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.