Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Valdez, AK

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdez, AK: $2,832 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Valdez, AK

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,832 in Valdez, AK.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Valdez, AK $2,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,984 in Valdez, AK.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Valdez, AK $3,984

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,136 in Valdez, AK.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Valdez, AK $5,136

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Valdez, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Valdez, AK 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$23.31 $23.31

8.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$100 $100

0.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$20.23 $20.23

-27.04%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.24 $4.24

53.30%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.45 $2.45

31.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.30 $2.30

36.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.11 $7.11

12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.91 $8.91

-8.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.51 $3.51

51.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.34 $4.34

47.47%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.04 $4.04

25.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.69 $12.69

47.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.63 $11.63

60.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.11 $17.11

33.72%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.92 $4.92

23.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.66 $1.66

17.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.41 $4.41

24.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.72 $4.72

38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.75 $2.75

26.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.08 $3.08

6.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.21 $2.21

26.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.27 $2.27

13.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.32 $10.32

21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.91 $14.91

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.21 $2.21

89.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.27 $3.27

77.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.91 $1.91

59.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$65.2 $65.2

62.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.83 $1.83

-10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$33.54 $33.54

-10.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.27 $1.27

11.02%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.3K $29.3K

25.75%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$29.7K $29.7K

-10.49%

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

$308 $308

$305 $305

0.89%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$58.6 $58.6

17.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$97.0 $97.0

-11.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$39.40 $39.40

94.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.11 $14.11

27.71%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,382 $1,382

98.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$22.8K $22.8K

34.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$46.44 $46.44

70.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$46.54 $46.54

16.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.9 $79.9

58.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$122 $122

29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,631 $1,631

53.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,315 $1,315

47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,665 $2,665

91.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,853 $1,853

91.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,457 $2,457

200.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,292 $2,292

118.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$7,491 $7,491

-13.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Valdez, AK: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 46.5% 32.1% $623

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Valdez, AK

$400 14.1% 26.8% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Valdez, AK

$460 16.3% 0.5% $2.3

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Valdez, AK

$370 13.1% 8.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Valdez, AK

$133 4.7% 29.6% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Valdez, AK

$85 3% 34.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Valdez, AK

$68 2.4% 39.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,631 in Valdez, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdez, AK pays 16% 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 $100 in Valdez, AK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $400 per month, with Valdez, AK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🕒 Local time

16:13 4:13 PM

15:13 3:13 PM

1 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

4,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Valdez, AK 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Valdez, AK

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 Valdez, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Valdez, AK is about 25% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 14% 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 $1,631 in Valdez, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,382 in Valdez, AK. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Valdez, AK runs roughly 38% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Valdez, AK 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.