Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,726 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,726 in Wausau, WI.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Wausau, WI $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,735 in Wausau, WI.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Wausau, WI $2,735

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $3,743 in Wausau, WI.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Wausau, WI $3,743

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 117% more expensive than in Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Wausau, WI 29% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.87 $19.87

23.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$75.2 $75.2

32.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$8.71 $8.71

75.66%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$4.85 $4.85

36.49%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.82 $2.82

15.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.94 $1.94

60.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.62 $5.62

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.42 $5.42

46.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.85 $0.85

42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.84 $2.84

73.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.26 $5.26

17.30%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.66 $4.66

6.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$8.62 $8.62

120.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$6.80 $6.80

174.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$13.53 $13.53

71.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.17 $4.17

42.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.53 $1.53

26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.02 $4.02

29.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.10 $4.10

59.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.86 $1.86

94.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.44 $2.44

29.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.25 $2.25

29.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.99 $0.99

140.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$8.60 $8.60

43.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$8.92 $8.92

68.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.95 $1.95

120.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.20 $2.20

158.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.76 $2.76

-4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.58 $1.58

10.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$20.77 $20.77

44.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.81 $0.81

80.25%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.3K $36.3K

1.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

2.90%

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

$299 $299

$157 $157

90.31%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$68.3 $68.3

2.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$71.5 $71.5

26.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$30.56 $30.56

161.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$5.93 $5.93

192.24%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$1,806 $1,806

65.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.6K $24.6K

27.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$24.53 $24.53

216.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$40.50 $40.50

35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$65.8 $65.8

91.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$83.5 $83.5

97.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$928 $928

159.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$698 $698

181.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,565 $1,565

205.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,398 $1,398

154.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$1,662 $1,662

346.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,714 $1,714

192.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,486 $3,486

80.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.65

3.01%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Wausau, WI

$698 39.8% 64.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Wausau, WI

$307 17.5% 43.2% $234

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Wausau, WI

$297 17% 35.3% $162

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Wausau, WI

$301 17.2% 25% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 49.4% $94

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 91.9% $121

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 63% $72

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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Wausau, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $307 per month, with Wausau, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

11:35 11:35 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

38,435

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Wausau, WI 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wausau, WI is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $928 in Wausau, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,986 in Seattle, WA versus $1,806 in Wausau, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wausau, WI – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,726 in Wausau, WI versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wausau, WI but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Wausau, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Wausau, 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 Wausau, 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 Wausau, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.