Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Williston, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Williston, ND: $2,269 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
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Williston, ND Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Williston, ND

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 Williston, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,269 in Williston, ND.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Williston, ND $2,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,718 in Williston, ND.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Williston, ND $3,718

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,166 in Williston, ND.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Williston, ND $5,166

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 66% more expensive than in Williston, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Williston, ND 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$20.07 $20.07

18.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$75.9 $75.9

29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.36 $11.36

31.51%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.23 $5.23

29.83%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.75 $2.75

17.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.01 $2.01

56.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.39 $5.39

52.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.83 $6.83

15.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.96 $0.96

21.87%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.04 $2.04

159.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.10 $4.10

40.49%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.12 $4.12

18.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$30.04 $30.04

-32.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$12.64 $12.64

42.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$13.94 $13.94

67.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.18 $5.18

14.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.85 $1.85

2.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.24 $4.24

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.70 $4.70

39.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.86 $2.86

18.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.96 $2.96

-2.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.11 $2.11

36.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.20 $2.20

10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.15 $10.15

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.37 $15.37

-0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.91 $1.91

129.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.72 $3.72

58.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.83 $1.83

61.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$68.8 $68.8

58.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.00 $3.00

-16.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.52 $1.52

13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$32.58 $32.58

-8.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.06 $1.06

42.45%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$24.2K $24.2K

49.61%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$24.8K $24.8K

3.50%

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

$289 $289

$197 $197

46.39%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$58.7 $58.7

17.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.5 $74.5

13.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$41.64 $41.64

66.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$13.64 $13.64

31.74%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,360 $1,360

107.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$20.1K $20.1K

118.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$53.5 $53.5

70.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$40.89 $40.89

34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$95.6 $95.6

32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$103 $103

56.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$997 $997

158.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$901 $901

115.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,057 $2,057

147.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,154 $2,154

64.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,237 $2,237

228.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,273 $2,273

116.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$5,795 $5,795

11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.59

3.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Williston, ND: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Williston, ND

$901 39.7% 53.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Williston, ND

$433 19.1% 20.5% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Williston, ND

$330 14.6% 25.4% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Williston, ND

$317 14% 20.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Williston, ND

$132 5.8% 32.6% $64

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Williston, ND

$87 3.8% 34.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Williston, ND

$69 3% 34.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $997 in Williston, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 11% 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 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Williston, ND for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $433 per month, with Williston, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

30,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Williston, ND 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Williston, ND

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 Williston, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williston, ND is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $997 in Williston, ND. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Williston, ND – a meal for two runs $76 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,269 in Williston, ND – Williston, ND is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,269 in Williston, ND versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Williston, ND but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Williston, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Williston, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.