Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and West Plains, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in West Plains, MO: $2,444 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
Learn more

West Plains, MO Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in West Plains, MO

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 Plains, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,444 in West Plains, MO.

Seattle, WA $3,782
West Plains, MO $2,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,577 in West Plains, MO.

Seattle, WA $5,636
West Plains, MO $3,577

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,710 in West Plains, MO.

Seattle, WA $7,489
West Plains, MO $4,710

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 55% more expensive than in West Plains, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, West Plains, MO 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$16.86 $16.86

45.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.9 $75.9

29.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.91 $10.91

35.56%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.14 $5.14

26.85%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.97 $2.97

8.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.34 $2.34

35.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.44 $5.44

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.52 $6.52

23.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.09 $1.09

11.01%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.73 $2.73

88.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.69 $2.69

124.91%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.51 $3.51

39.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.12 $10.12

89.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.08 $12.08

56.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$22.83 $22.83

2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.88 $4.88

22.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.41 $1.41

36.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.47 $4.47

17.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.74 $3.74

75.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.74 $2.74

32.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.50 $2.50

32.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.98 $1.98

40.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.90 $1.90

32.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.38 $9.38

29.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.62 $13.62

8.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.74 $1.74

142.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$1.73 $1.73

233.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.16 $2.16

36.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.54 $2.54

4.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.48 $1.48

16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.44 $24.44

21.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.56%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

-0.41%

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

$302 $302

$218 $218

38.57%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$60.1 $60.1

16.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$68.7 $68.7

24.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$45.73 $45.73

70.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.09 $13.09

36.29%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,049 $1,049

183.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$19.1K $19.1K

63.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.1 $51.1

49.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.46 $39.46

36.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$83.5 $83.5

53.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$148 $148

10.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,592 $1,592

53.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,196 $1,196

62.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,814 $2,814

68.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,961 $1,961

76.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,467 $2,467

198.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,124 $2,124

141.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.75

2.07%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for West Plains, MO: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

West Plains, MO

$1.2K 48.9% 38.5% $750

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

West Plains, MO

$375 15.3% 31.3% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

West Plains, MO

$347 14.2% 24.2% $111

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

West Plains, MO

$291 11.9% 27.2% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

West Plains, MO

$145 5.9% 23.7% $45

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

West Plains, MO

$19 * 0.8% 85.6% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

West Plains, MO

$72 2.9% 36.6% $42

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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in West Plains, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $375 per month, with West Plains, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

12,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA West Plains, MO 2,760 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
West Plains, MO

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 West Plains, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Plains, MO is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 55% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,667 in West Plains, MO 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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,049 in West Plains, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in West Plains, MO – a meal for two runs $76.0 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. West Plains, MO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, West Plains, MO 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 West Plains, MO 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 West Plains, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.