Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $38,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
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Zaragoza Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Zaragoza

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $635 in Zaragoza.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Zaragoza $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $1,039 in Zaragoza.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Zaragoza $1,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $1,443 in Zaragoza.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Zaragoza $1,443

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 499% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 182% above, Zaragoza is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$6.73 $6.73

276.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$30.58 $30.58

231.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$7.19 $7.19

106.54%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$1.46 $1.46

351.37%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.13 $1.13

184.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.84 $0.84

273.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$1.21 $1.21

576.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$2.13 $2.13

277.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.77 $1.77

-31.64%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.30 $2.30

122.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$0.95 $0.95

563.16%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.49 $2.49

96.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$7.64 $7.64

150.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$3.96 $3.96

367.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$5.46 $5.46

321.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.03 $4.03

44.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.44 $1.44

35.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.66 $2.66

98.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.17 $2.17

198.62%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.99 $2.99

19.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.86 $1.86

69.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$0.95 $0.95

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$0.72 $0.72

236.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$3.80 $3.80

235.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$8.04 $8.04

86.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.55 $1.55

169.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.31 $2.31

159.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.53 $1.53

98.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.96 $4.96

-48.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.03 $3.03

-45.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$20.38 $20.38

45.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.12 $1.12

26.79%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$25.0K $25.0K

42.85%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.8K $24.8K

3.00%

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

$299 $299

$44.91 $44.91

565.80%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$21.66 $21.66

226.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$35.58 $35.58

148.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$35.04 $35.04

126.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$5.05 $5.05

239.01%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$153 $153

1871.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$4,701 $4,701

572.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$68.1 $68.1

13.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$46.09 $46.09

19.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$111 $111

12.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$69.1 $69.1

135.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

8.5

-19.41%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Zaragoza

$217 34.3% 59.9% $324

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Zaragoza

$102 16.1% 77.7% $356

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Zaragoza

$111 17.5% 72.8% $298

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 29.9% $57

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1% 80.3% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 60.3% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $31.00 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $217 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,749

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Zaragoza 4,860 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 499% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,701 in Seattle, WA and $952 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $153 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 499% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.