Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Wilmington, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Wilmington, OH: $2,539 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, OH
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Wilmington, OH Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Wilmington, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Wilmington, OH

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 Wilmington, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,539 in Wilmington, OH.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Wilmington, OH $2,539

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,669 in Wilmington, OH.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Wilmington, OH $3,669

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,799 in Wilmington, OH.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Wilmington, OH $4,799

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Wilmington, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Wilmington, OH 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$13.03 $13.03

88.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$56.8 $56.8

72.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$8.82 $8.82

67.69%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.15 $5.15

26.60%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.52 $2.52

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.10 $2.10

50.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.87 $4.87

61.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.83 $5.83

37.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.74 $0.74

63.51%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.88 $2.88

78.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.09 $4.09

47.92%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.54 $3.54

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.47 $10.47

83.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.13 $10.13

86.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.46 $14.46

61.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.31 $5.31

12.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.47 $1.47

31.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.51 $5.51

-4.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.45 $4.45

47.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.32 $4.32

-16.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.19 $3.19

3.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.10 $2.10

32.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.13 $3.13

-19.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.68 $8.68

40.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.23 $13.23

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.70 $2.70

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.16 $4.16

38.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.93 $1.93

52.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.14 $5.14

-48.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.61 $1.61

6.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$26.36 $26.36

12.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.99 $0.99

50.51%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.9K $27.9K

28.52%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.20%

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

$302 $302

$192 $192

57.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$108 $108

-34.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$75.9 $75.9

12.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.58 $40.58

91.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.03 $15.03

18.70%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,273 $2,273

30.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.0K $25.0K

24.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$51.7 $51.7

48.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$31.17 $31.17

73.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$119 $119

7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$155 $155

5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,582 $1,582

54.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,279 $1,279

52.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,544 $2,544

86.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,122 $2,122

63.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,357 $2,357

212.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,356 $2,356

117.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,455 $2,455

165.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.82

1.03%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wilmington, OH: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Wilmington, OH

$1.3K 50.4% 34.3% $668

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Wilmington, OH

$385 15.2% 29.4% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Wilmington, OH

$375 14.8% 18% $82

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Wilmington, OH

$247 9.7% 38.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Wilmington, OH

$161 6.3% 15.4% $29

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Wilmington, OH

$21 * 0.8% 83.8% $108

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Wilmington, OH

$71 2.8% 37.8% $43

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 $1,582 in Wilmington, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 165% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $57.0 in Wilmington, OH for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $385 per month, with Wilmington, OH cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Wilmington, OH

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

72,826

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Wilmington, OH 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 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 Wilmington, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wilmington, OH is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 165% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,582 in Wilmington, OH. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $2,273 in Wilmington, OH. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wilmington, OH – a meal for two runs $57.0 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 $3,000. Wilmington, OH is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Wilmington, OH 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 Wilmington, OH 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 Wilmington, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.