Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Starkville, MS and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Starkville, MS: $1,787 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
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Starkville, MS Living Index
184

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

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Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,787

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Starkville, MS 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 Starkville, MS and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,787 in Starkville, MS versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Starkville, MS $1,787
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in Starkville, MS versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Starkville, MS $2,731
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,676 in Starkville, MS versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Starkville, MS $3,676
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Starkville, MS costs roughly 53% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Starkville, MS 31% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.92 $14.92

$25.30 $25.30

-41.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.2 $60.2

$101 $101

-40.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 $8.35

$14.76 $14.76

-43.43%

Cappuccino

$4.19 $4.19

$6.50 $6.50

-35.54%

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

$2.37 $2.37

$3.21 $3.21

-26.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.14 $3.14

-41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.09 $4.09

$7.97 $7.97

-48.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.13 $8.13

-14.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.17 $1.17

-25.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.30 $5.30

-39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$6.40 $6.40

-59.06%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$5.06 $5.06

-16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.77 $9.77

$18.71 $18.71

-47.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.62 $11.62

$18.72 $18.72

-37.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.00 $15.00

$22.88 $22.88

-34.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$6.06 $6.06

-36.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.95 $1.95

-28.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$5.51 $5.51

-40.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$6.52 $6.52

-53.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.49 $3.49

-38.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.29 $3.29

-31.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.80 $2.80

-21.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.58 $2.58

-25.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.43 $8.43

$12.49 $12.49

-32.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$14.87 $14.87

-33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$4.19 $4.19

-58.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.80 $5.80

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.58 $2.58

62.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.64 $1.64

14.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.65 $32.65

$30.12 $30.12

8.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.41 $1.41

-39.01%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$36.8K $36.8K

-18.54%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-4.26%

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

$168 $168

$308 $308

-45.26%

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

$29.80 $29.80

$69.2 $69.2

-56.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$86.1 $86.1

-37.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.46 $17.46

$76.5 $76.5

-77.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 $8.04

$18.02 $18.02

-55.38%

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

$1,567 $1,567

$2,746 $2,746

-42.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,234 $8,234

$30.6K $30.6K

-73.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$79.2 $79.2

-5.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.5 $53.5

$54.3 $54.3

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$127 $127

-30.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$159 $159

7.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$946 $946

$2,508 $2,508

-62.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 $735

$1,938 $1,938

-62.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$5,117 $5,117

-69.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,344 $1,344

$3,542 $3,542

-62.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$7,374 $7,374

-70.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,184 $2,184

$5,002 $5,002

-56.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,153 $4,153

$6,470 $6,470

-35.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.89

-3.48%

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

Last update for Starkville, MS: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Starkville, MS

$735 41.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 164% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Starkville, MS

$334 18.7%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 63.8% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Starkville, MS

$252 14.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 83.8% $211

Eating Out

Starkville, MS

$246 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 65.2% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Starkville, MS

$174 9.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 8.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 235% $79

Getting Around

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 855% $115

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 $946 in Starkville, MS and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. 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: $60 in Starkville, MS vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $547 per month, with Starkville, MS cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

18:01 6:01 PM

2 h behind Starkville, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,638

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Starkville, MS Seattle, WA 3,200 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Starkville, MS
Seattle, WA

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

Starkville, MS vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Starkville, MS is about 53% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Starkville, MS. 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: $946 in Starkville, MS versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,567 in Starkville, MS versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Starkville, MS – a meal for two runs $60 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,787 in Starkville, MS versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Starkville, MS but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Starkville, MS 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 – Starkville, MS wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.