Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sterling: $2,814 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index
184

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

Jump to prices

Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,814

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,814 in Sterling versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Sterling $2,814
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,314 in Sterling versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Sterling $4,314
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,814 in Sterling versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Sterling $5,814
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Sterling costs roughly 26% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sterling 107% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$25.30 $25.30

-25.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$101 $101

-25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.94 $11.94

$14.76 $14.76

-19.11%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$6.50 $6.50

-6.62%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.21 $3.21

-7.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.14 $3.14

-19.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.47 $5.47

$7.97 $7.97

-31.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.13 $8.13

-3.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.17 $1.17

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$5.30 $5.30

-23.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$6.40 $6.40

-19.06%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$5.06 $5.06

8.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$18.71 $18.71

-8.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.76 $14.76

$18.72 $18.72

-21.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$22.88 $22.88

-18.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$6.06 $6.06

-8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.51 $5.51

-9.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$6.52 $6.52

-11.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.49 $3.49

-15.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.29 $3.29

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.80 $2.80

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.58 $2.58

6.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 $10.03

$12.49 $12.49

-19.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 $13.88

$14.87 $14.87

-6.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.19 $4.19

-46.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 $5.76

$5.80 $5.80

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.08 $5.08

$3.05 $3.05

66.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 $2.58

18.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.64 $1.64

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.06 $22.06

$30.12 $30.12

-26.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.41 $1.41

-26.24%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$36.8K $36.8K

-5.19%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-4.17%

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

$156 $156

$308 $308

-49.30%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$69.2 $69.2

-27.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$86.1 $86.1

-9.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.14 $29.14

$76.5 $76.5

-61.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.21 $18.21

$18.02 $18.02

1.05%

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

$1,890 $1,890

$2,746 $2,746

-31.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

4.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$79.2 $79.2

-32.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$54.3 $54.3

-15.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.8 $86.8

$127 $127

-31.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$159 $159

-33.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,245 $1,245

$2,508 $2,508

-50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,503 $1,503

$1,938 $1,938

-22.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 $2,010

$5,117 $5,117

-60.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$3,542 $3,542

-19.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,292 $3,292

$7,374 $7,374

-55.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,321 $2,321

$5,002 $5,002

-53.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,746 $3,746

$6,470 $6,470

-42.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.89

-3.77%

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

Last update for Sterling: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sterling

$1.5K 53.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 29% $436

Groceries & Markets

Sterling

$475 16.9%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 15.1% $72

Eating Out

Sterling

$324 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 25.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sterling

$284 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 62.8% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Sterling

$131 4.7%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 43.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Sterling

$66 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 71.6% $47

Getting Around

Sterling

$31 * 1.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 318% $98

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 $1,245 in Sterling and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 73% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Sterling vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $547 per month, with Sterling cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sterling

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

13:15 1:15 PM

2 h behind Sterling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,782

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sterling Seattle, WA 2,640 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Sterling
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

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

Sterling is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in transport, eating out, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Sterling. 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: $1,245 in Sterling versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,890 in Sterling 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 Sterling – a meal for two runs $75 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sterling is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 – Sterling wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.