Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stillwater, MN and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Stillwater, MN: $2,884 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Stillwater, MN
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Stillwater, MN Living Index
185

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

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Stillwater, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Stillwater, MN versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Stillwater, MN $2,884
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,047 in Stillwater, MN versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Stillwater, MN $4,047
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,209 in Stillwater, MN versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Stillwater, MN $5,209
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Stillwater, MN costs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stillwater, MN 114% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 $17.57

$25.32 $25.32

-30.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$101 $101

-20.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.85 $14.85

-18.38%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$6.59 $6.59

-11.23%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.22 $3.22

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.14 $3.14

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.18 $8.18

-16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.03 $8.03

0.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.21 $1.21

-25.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$5.12 $5.12

-29.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$6.30 $6.30

3.02%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.90 $4.90

-26.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$19.10 $19.10

-46.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$18.50 $18.50

-26.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 $18.88

$23.03 $23.03

-18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.81 $5.81

-22.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.95 $1.95

-7.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$5.29 $5.29

-13.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.48 $6.48

-18.98%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$3.57 $3.57

20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.15 $3.15

32.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.85 $2.85

-19.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.42 $2.42

7.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 $12.94

$12.75 $12.75

1.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$14.99 $14.99

4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.17 $4.17

-31.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 $5.78

$5.99 $5.99

-3.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 $82.9

$110 $110

-24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.55 $2.55

98.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.64 $1.64

5.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.82 $23.82

$29.58 $29.58

-19.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.42 $1.42

-28.87%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

0.95%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.6K $25.6K

-0.39%

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

$131 $131

$299 $299

-56.13%

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

$54.7 $54.7

$70.8 $70.8

-22.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$88.3 $88.3

-24.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$79.5 $79.5

59.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.50 $34.50

$35.37 $35.37

-2.46%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 $15.54

$17.12 $17.12

-9.23%

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

$1,383 $1,383

$3,013 $3,013

-54.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$31.6K $31.6K

13.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$77.2 $77.2

-23.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 $44.66

$55.1 $55.1

-18.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 $90.5

$126 $126

-27.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.40 $49.40

$163 $163

-69.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 $1,492

$2,464 $2,464

-39.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$1,956 $1,956

-22.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$4,711 $4,711

-52.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$3,550 $3,550

-41.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,067 $3,067

$7,346 $7,346

-58.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,899 $2,899

$5,048 $5,048

-42.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,855 $6,855

$6,286 $6,286

9.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.85

-3.65%

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

Last update for Stillwater, MN: 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

Stillwater, MN

$1.5K 52.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 29.3% $444

Groceries & Markets

Stillwater, MN

$437 15.2%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 23.9% $105

Eating Out

Stillwater, MN

$319 11.1%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 28.1% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stillwater, MN

$253 8.8%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 81.4% $206

Sport & Entertainment

Stillwater, MN

$158 5.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 27.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Stillwater, MN

$109 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 72.9% $80

Getting Around

Stillwater, MN

$97 * 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 37.7% $36

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 $1,492 in Stillwater, MN and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stillwater, MN pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Stillwater, MN vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 vs $542 per month, with Stillwater, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stillwater, MN

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

18:42 6:42 PM

16:42 4:42 PM

2 h behind Stillwater, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,818

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Stillwater, MN Seattle, WA 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Stillwater, MN
Seattle, WA

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Stillwater, MN is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Stillwater, MN, 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: $1,492 in Stillwater, MN 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 Stillwater, MN – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,884 per month in Stillwater, MN versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Stillwater, MN 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.

Safety-wise, Stillwater, MN 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 Stillwater, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.