Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and West Palm Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in West Palm Beach, FL: $3,217 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in West Palm Beach, FL
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West Palm Beach, FL Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

West Palm Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in West Palm Beach, FL

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 West Palm Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Seattle, WA $3,785
West Palm Beach, FL $3,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,825 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Seattle, WA $5,688
West Palm Beach, FL $4,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,433 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Seattle, WA $7,592
West Palm Beach, FL $6,433

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 18% more expensive than in West Palm Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, West Palm Beach, FL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$21.09 $21.09

19.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$81.1 $81.1

24.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.97 $11.97

23.31%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.40 $5.40

20.37%

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

$1.84 $1.84

70.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.82 $5.82

36.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.15 $8.15

-0.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.06 $1.06

10.38%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.08 $3.08

72.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.36 $3.36

90.48%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.56 $3.56

42.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.21 $12.21

53.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.08 $11.08

68.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.16 $18.16

25.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.78 $4.78

26.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.94 $2.94

87.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.70 $4.70

38.72%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.12 $3.12

11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.33 $3.33

-1.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.60 $2.60

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.41 $2.41

7.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.53 $9.53

31.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.87 $12.87

15.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.72 $1.72

143.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.72 $3.72

55.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.04 $2.04

49.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$68.8 $68.8

54.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.85 $1.85

-11.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$34.88 $34.88

-13.65%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

31.11%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.20%

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

$308 $308

$201 $201

52.70%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$63.9 $63.9

8.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$76.2 $76.2

12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.67 $41.67

83.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$24.98 $24.98

42.11%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$10.10 $10.10

78.42%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,488 $1,488

84.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$21.4K $21.4K

43.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$63.9 $63.9

23.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.88 $40.88

32.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$95.0 $95.0

33.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$110 $110

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,624 $2,624

-4.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,870 $1,870

3.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,348 $5,348

-4.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,427 $3,427

3.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,343 $5,343

38.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,324 $3,324

50.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,976 $3,976

62.72%

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 26, 2026

Last update for West Palm Beach, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$1.9K 58.2% 3.5% $68

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

West Palm Beach, FL

$382 11.9% 30.1% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$342 10.6% 26.2% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

West Palm Beach, FL

$332 10.3% 18.3% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

West Palm Beach, FL

$140 4.3% 26% $49

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

West Palm Beach, FL

$89 2.8% 30.9% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

West Palm Beach, FL

$62 1.9% 45% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 63% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81 in West Palm Beach, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $382 per month, with West Palm Beach, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 West Palm Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

117,415

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA West Palm Beach, FL 4,330 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
West Palm Beach, FL

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs West Palm Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Palm Beach, FL is about 15% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in West Palm Beach, FL – a meal for two runs $81 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL – West Palm Beach, FL is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. West Palm Beach, FL 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.

It comes down to priorities – West Palm Beach, FL wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.