Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbandale, IA: $2,310 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
113

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
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Urbandale, IA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Urbandale, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Urbandale, IA $2,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,374 in Urbandale, IA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Urbandale, IA $3,374

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,437 in Urbandale, IA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Urbandale, IA $4,437

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Urbandale, IA 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.86 $14.86

65.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$50.9 $50.9

92.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.96 $9.96

48.49%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.97 $4.97

31.19%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.21 $1.21

166.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$0.99 $0.99

220.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.15 $5.15

52.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.58 $7.58

5.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.01 $1.01

19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.25 $3.25

58.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.84 $3.84

57.55%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.05 $2.05

138.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$14.07 $14.07

36.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.88 $9.88

91.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$13.88 $13.88

67.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.21 $3.21

86.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.61 $1.61

19.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.47 $3.47

51.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.29 $3.29

99.70%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.09 $3.09

17.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.37 $3.37

-1.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.14 $2.14

29.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.10 $2.10

19.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.16 $8.16

49.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.04 $12.04

23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.82 $1.82

131.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.87 $1.87

208.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.05 $2.05

43.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$66.0 $66.0

60.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.46 $2.46

7.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.20 $1.20

43.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$60.2 $60.2

-50.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.98 $0.98

52.04%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$34.6K $34.6K

3.86%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.43%

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

$302 $302

$140 $140

116.11%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$14.79 $14.79

374.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$25.01 $25.01

240.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$35.57 $35.57

118.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$20.34 $20.34

70.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.81 $14.81

20.46%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,164 $1,164

155.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.7K $20.7K

51.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$61.3 $61.3

24.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$21.96 $21.96

146.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$45.54 $45.54

181.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$75.1 $75.1

118.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$933 $933

162.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,290 $1,290

50.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,237 $1,237

283.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,164 $2,164

60.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,777 $2,777

165.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,710 $2,710

89.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,637 $3,637

78.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.56

5.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.9% 33.7% $656

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Urbandale, IA

$342 14.8% 37.3% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 60.7% $278

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Urbandale, IA

$258 11.2% 35.4% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Urbandale, IA

$92 4% 51.8% $99

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Urbandale, IA

$83 3.6% 36% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Urbandale, IA

$65 2.8% 42.6% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 79% 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 $51.0 in Urbandale, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $342 per month, with Urbandale, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

22:43 10:43 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

45,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Urbandale, IA 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Urbandale, IA

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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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbandale, IA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 79% 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 $933 in Urbandale, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Urbandale, IA – a meal for two runs $51.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,310 in Urbandale, IA – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,310 in Urbandale, IA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urbandale, IA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Urbandale, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Urbandale, IA 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Urbandale, IA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Urbandale, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.