Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Wasilla, AK: $2,896 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Wasilla, AK
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Wasilla, AK Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Wasilla, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Wasilla, 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 Wasilla, AK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,896 in Wasilla, AK.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Wasilla, AK $2,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,119 in Wasilla, AK.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Wasilla, AK $4,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,343 in Wasilla, AK.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Wasilla, AK $5,343

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Wasilla, AK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Wasilla, AK 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.52 $24.52

3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.03 $12.03

22.69%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.92 $3.92

65.82%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.01 $2.01

59.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.04 $2.04

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.62 $5.62

41.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.77 $7.77

4.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.23 $1.23

-4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.10 $3.10

70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.31 $6.31

1.43%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.27 $3.27

54.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.75 $13.75

36.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.21 $10.21

83.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.66 $15.66

46.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.02 $8.02

-24.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.21 $2.21

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.83 $3.83

43.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.32 $4.32

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.58 $2.58

35.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.19 $3.19

3.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.74 $2.74

2.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.25 $2.25

14.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.85 $12.85

-2.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.92 $17.92

-17.02%

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

$3.45 $3.45

68.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.96 $1.96

55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$61.1 $61.1

73.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.76 $2.76

-6.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.69 $1.69

-2.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$38.01 $38.01

-20.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

46.20%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.19%

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

$308 $308

$273 $273

12.73%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$47.81 $47.81

44.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$137 $137

-37.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$86.6 $86.6

-11.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$34.76 $34.76

2.13%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$8.32 $8.32

116.59%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,266 $1,266

116.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$10.5K $10.5K

190.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$48.84 $48.84

62.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$46.39 $46.39

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.7 $79.7

59.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$90.7 $90.7

75.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,412 $1,412

77.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,381 $1,381

40.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,039 $2,039

151.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,022 $2,022

75.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.49

6.16%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wasilla, AK: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Wasilla, AK

$1.4K 47.7% 28.7% $557

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Wasilla, AK

$415 14.3% 24.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Wasilla, AK

$458 15.8% 1.1% $5

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Wasilla, AK

$339 11.7% 16.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Wasilla, AK

$120 4.1% 36.7% $69

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Wasilla, AK

$80 2.8% 37.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Wasilla, AK

$103 3.6% 8.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,412 in Wasilla, AK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $101 in Wasilla, AK. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $415, with Wasilla, AK cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Wasilla, AK

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

12:49 12:49 PM

1 h behind Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

9,000

💱 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 Wasilla, AK 2,310 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Wasilla, 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 Wasilla, AK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wasilla, AK is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $4,344 in Wasilla, AK to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,412 in Wasilla, AK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,266 in Wasilla, AK. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Wasilla, AK runs roughly 42% 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. Wasilla, 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.