Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Waunakee, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Waunakee, WI: $2,718 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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
127

Cost of Living Index in Waunakee, WI
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Waunakee, WI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Waunakee, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Waunakee, WI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,718 in Waunakee, WI.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Waunakee, WI $2,718

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,864 in Waunakee, WI.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Waunakee, WI $3,864

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,010 in Waunakee, WI.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Waunakee, WI $5,010

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 39% more expensive than in Waunakee, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Waunakee, WI 101% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.03 $20.03

22.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$80.4 $80.4

22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.75 $12.75

16.00%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.75 $5.75

13.39%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.08 $3.08

4.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.26 $2.26

40.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.09 $7.09

10.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.24 $8.24

-2.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.00 $1.00

21.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.84 $3.84

33.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.36 $4.36

38.76%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.73 $3.73

30.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$14.30 $14.30

34.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.18 $13.18

43.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.47 $18.47

26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.63 $4.63

29.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.63 $1.63

18.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.16 $4.16

26.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.97 $4.97

32.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.68 $2.68

35.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.69 $2.69

23.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.09 $2.09

33.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.41 $2.41

4.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.75 $10.75

13.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.96 $14.96

-0.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.63 $2.63

60.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.37 $3.37

71.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.20 $2.20

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.21 $3.21

-17.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.43 $1.43

20.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.97 $24.97

19.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 $1.08

37.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$30.0K $30.0K

19.62%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.22%

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

$302 $302

$190 $190

58.75%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$68.2 $68.2

2.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$69.3 $69.3

23.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.22 $42.22

84.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.11 $15.11

18.07%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,681 $1,681

76.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.7K $23.7K

31.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$64.1 $64.1

19.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$51.2 $51.2

5.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$100.0 $100.0

28.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$123 $123

33.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,486 $1,486

64.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,386 $1,386

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,665 $2,665

78.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,045 $2,045

69.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,616 $2,616

181.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,419 $2,419

111.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.69

2.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Waunakee, WI: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Waunakee, WI

$1.4K 51% 28.8% $561

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Waunakee, WI

$420 15.5% 23% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Waunakee, WI

$328 12.1% 28.3% $130

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Waunakee, WI

$341 12.5% 14.7% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Waunakee, WI

$152 5.6% 19.9% $38

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Waunakee, WI

$19 * 0.7% 85.2% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Waunakee, WI

$72 2.7% 36.2% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,486 in Waunakee, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $80.0 in Waunakee, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $420 per month, with Waunakee, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Waunakee, WI

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

22:17 10:17 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

14,879

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Waunakee, WI 2,590 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Waunakee, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waunakee, WI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 39% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $4,077 in Waunakee, WI 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,486 in Waunakee, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,681 in Waunakee, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waunakee, WI – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Waunakee, WI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Waunakee, WI 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 Waunakee, WI 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 Waunakee, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.