Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and York, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in York, PA: $2,310 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
111

Cost of Living Index in York, PA
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York, PA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

York, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,310

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in York, PA

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 York, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,310 in York, PA.

Seattle, WA $3,744
York, PA $2,310

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,475 in York, PA.

Seattle, WA $5,703
York, PA $3,475

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,641 in York, PA.

Seattle, WA $7,661
York, PA $4,641

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 62% more expensive than in York, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, York, PA 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$15.04 $15.04

63.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$74.9 $74.9

32.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.19 $10.19

50.15%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$4.94 $4.94

34.01%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.88 $2.88

12.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.29 $2.29

35.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.01 $4.01

93.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.68 $5.68

39.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.33 $1.33

-9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.03 $4.03

22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$7.22 $7.22

-14.54%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$5.28 $5.28

-6.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$17.20 $17.20

10.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$15.23 $15.23

22.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$18.24 $18.24

26.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$6.85 $6.85

-13.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.30 $2.30

-15.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.97 $4.97

4.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$5.91 $5.91

10.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.91 $2.91

24.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.78 $3.78

-16.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.55 $2.55

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.06 $2.06

15.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$13.77 $13.77

-10.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$13.42 $13.42

11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$1.92 $1.92

123.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.78 $3.78

50.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.75 $1.75

74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.06 $4.06

-34.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.63 $1.63

6.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$19.73 $19.73

52.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.96 $0.96

52.08%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$30.2K $30.2K

21.80%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.9K $26.9K

-4.68%

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

$299 $299

$207 $207

44.31%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$55.5 $55.5

25.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$79.1 $79.1

13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$47.83 $47.83

67.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$34.95 $34.95

1.92%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$11.87 $11.87

46.00%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$1,084 $1,084

175.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$39.3K $39.3K

-20.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$50.9 $50.9

52.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$43.62 $43.62

25.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$69.3 $69.3

81.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$90.9 $90.9

81.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,385 $1,385

73.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,008 $1,008

94.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,946 $1,946

146.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,707 $1,707

108.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$1,856 $1,856

300.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,825 $1,825

174.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$4,015 $4,015

56.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.63

3.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for York, PA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

York, PA

$1K 43.9% 48.7% $955

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

York, PA

$479 20.9% 11.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

York, PA

$342 14.9% 25.5% $117

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

York, PA

$262 11.4% 34.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

York, PA

$115 5% 39.9% $76

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

York, PA

$19 * 0.8% 85.5% $113

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

York, PA

$72 3.1% 37.6% $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 $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,385 in York, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 56% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in York, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $479 per month, with York, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 York, PA

🕒 Local time

18:44 6:44 PM

21:44 9:44 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA York, PA 3,700 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
York, PA

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 York, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

York, PA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 56% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,385 in York, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,986 in Seattle, WA versus $1,084 in York, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in York, PA – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,310 in York, PA versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in York, PA but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes York, PA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, York, PA 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.

Expats usually find York, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.