Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Winston-Salem, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC: $2,428 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
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Winston-Salem, NC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Winston-Salem, NC

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 Winston-Salem, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Winston-Salem, NC $2,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,722 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Winston-Salem, NC $3,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,016 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Winston-Salem, NC $5,016

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Winston-Salem, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Winston-Salem, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.94 $22.94

10.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.2 $79.2

27.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.19 $10.19

44.85%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.36 $5.36

21.27%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.87 $2.87

11.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.95 $1.95

61.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.14 $5.14

55.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.13 $6.13

32.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.45 $1.45

-19.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.75 $4.75

11.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$9.80 $9.80

-34.69%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.46 $5.46

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.33 $18.33

2.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.95 $13.95

34.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$26.68 $26.68

-14.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$7.78 $7.78

-22.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.11 $3.11

-37.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$7.03 $7.03

-21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$7.42 $7.42

-12.13%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.91 $4.91

-28.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$6.04 $6.04

-45.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.76 $2.76

1.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.54 $3.54

-27.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$8.95 $8.95

39.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.82 $14.82

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.61 $1.61

160.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.60 $4.60

26.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.02 $1.02

199.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$29.70 $29.70

256.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.85 $6.85

-62.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.24 $2.24

-26.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$14.85 $14.85

102.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.94 $0.94

50.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.7K $29.7K

23.96%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.60%

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

$308 $308

$176 $176

75.15%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.7 $51.7

33.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.9 $62.9

36.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$35.52 $35.52

115.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$15.77 $15.77

125.11%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.79 $11.79

52.84%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,279 $1,279

114.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$9,829 $9,829

211.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$38.64 $38.64

104.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$31.00 $31.00

75.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.4 $84.4

50.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$95.5 $95.5

66.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,501 $1,501

67.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,001 $1,001

93.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,667 $2,667

91.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,761 $1,761

101.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,103 $5,103

44.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,693 $2,693

85.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,714 $3,714

74.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Winston-Salem, NC

$1K 41.2% 48.4% $937

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Winston-Salem, NC

$578 23.8% 5.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Winston-Salem, NC

$290 12% 37.3% $173

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Winston-Salem, NC

$336 13.8% 17.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Winston-Salem, NC

$112 4.6% 40.5% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Winston-Salem, NC

$52 2.1% 59.8% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Winston-Salem, NC

$59 2.4% 47.5% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 74% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Winston-Salem, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $578, with Seattle, WA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

241,218

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Winston-Salem, NC 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Winston-Salem, NC

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 Winston-Salem, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winston-Salem, NC is about 36% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 74% 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 $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC – a meal for two runs $79 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 $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC – Winston-Salem, NC is about 36% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Winston-Salem, NC but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Winston-Salem, NC 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.

It comes down to priorities – Winston-Salem, NC wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.