Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerville, MA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,288 in Somerville, MA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Somerville, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

210

Cost of Living Index in Somerville, MA
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Somerville, MA Living Index
185

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

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Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,288

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Somerville, MA and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Somerville, MA and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,288 in Somerville, MA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Somerville, MA $4,288
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,211 in Somerville, MA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Somerville, MA $6,211
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,134 in Somerville, MA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Somerville, MA $8,134
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Somerville, MA is roughly 13% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerville, MA 218% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.95 $24.95

$25.32 $25.32

-1.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.3 $95.3

$101 $101

-6.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$14.85 $14.85

-10.77%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$6.59 $6.59

-17.45%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.22 $3.22

-9.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.14 $3.14

-28.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.18 $8.18

-0.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.09 $9.09

$8.03 $8.03

13.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.21 $1.21

-10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$5.12 $5.12

-23.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$6.30 $6.30

-15.71%

Eggs

$4.92 $4.92

$4.90 $4.90

0.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$19.10 $19.10

-16.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.04 $14.04

$18.50 $18.50

-24.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.85 $17.85

$23.03 $23.03

-22.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$5.81 $5.81

14.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.95 $1.95

6.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.53 $5.53

$5.29 $5.29

4.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$6.48 $6.48

0.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$3.57 $3.57

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.15 $3.15

-31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.85 $2.85

4.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.42 $2.42

23.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.39 $13.39

$12.75 $12.75

5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.79 $15.79

$14.99 $14.99

5.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$4.17 $4.17

-49.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$5.99 $5.99

-31.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.04 $3.04

-26.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$110 $110

-19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.55 $2.55

2.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.64 $1.64

8.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.09 $28.09

$29.58 $29.58

-5.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.42 $1.42

-23.94%

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

$36.9K $36.9K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.24%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

1.40%

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

$246 $246

$299 $299

-17.75%

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

$75.9 $75.9

$70.8 $70.8

7.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$88.3 $88.3

-15.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$103 $103

$79.5 $79.5

30.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$15.65 $15.65

$17.12 $17.12

-8.59%

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

$1,848 $1,848

$3,013 $3,013

-38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.6K $31.6K

-3.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.48 $48.48

$77.2 $77.2

-37.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.45 $38.45

$55.1 $55.1

-30.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$126 $126

-19.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$163 $163

-3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 $2,965

$2,464 $2,464

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,637 $2,637

$1,956 $1,956

34.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$4,711 $4,711

-3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,491 $4,491

$3,550 $3,550

26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,454 $7,454

$7,346 $7,346

1.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,679 $5,679

$5,048 $5,048

12.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,408 $5,408

$6,286 $6,286

-13.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.85

-3.07%

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

Last update for Somerville, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerville, MA

$2.6K 61.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 25.8% $680

Groceries & Markets

Somerville, MA

$472 11%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 14.9% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerville, MA

$396 9.2%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 15.6% $62

Eating Out

Somerville, MA

$384 9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 6.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Somerville, MA

$155 3.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 21.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Somerville, MA

$135 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 15.6% $21

Getting Around

Somerville, MA

$109 2.6%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 21.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,965 in Somerville, MA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 16% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Somerville, MA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $472 vs $542 per month, with Somerville, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerville, MA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

07:29 7:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

3 h behind Somerville, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,754

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Somerville, MA Seattle, WA 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Somerville, MA
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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

Somerville, MA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,965 in Somerville, MA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $95.0 in Somerville, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,288 per month in Somerville, MA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Seattle, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Somerville, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Somerville, MA and Seattle, WA 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 Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Somerville, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.