Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,301 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $29,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Surprise, AZ
Learn more

Surprise, AZ Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$1,301

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,301 in Surprise, AZ versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Surprise, AZ $1,301
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Surprise, AZ versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Surprise, AZ $3,613
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,926 in Surprise, AZ versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Surprise, AZ $5,926
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Surprise, AZ costs roughly 66% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surprise, AZ is 4% below, Seattle, WA is 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$24.52 $24.52

-17.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$98.2 $98.2

-11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.13 $13.13

$14.79 $14.79

-11.22%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$6.52 $6.52

-5.21%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.23 $3.23

-14.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.17 $3.17

-23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$7.85 $7.85

-13.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$8.03 $8.03

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 $1.21

-15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$5.14 $5.14

-28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$6.05 $6.05

-14.88%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.88 $4.88

-3.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$19.18 $19.18

-30.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.35 $11.35

$18.91 $18.91

-39.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.86 $14.86

$23.31 $23.31

-36.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$5.99 $5.99

-22.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 $1.93

1.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$5.25 $5.25

-24.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.57 $6.57

-36.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.62 $3.62

-32.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.31 $3.31

-13.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.78 $2.78

-24.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.51 $2.51

-16.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.84 $10.84

$12.18 $12.18

-11.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.46 $13.46

$14.83 $14.83

-9.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$4.22 $4.22

-42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$5.77 $5.77

-43.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.65 $2.65

4.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.72 $1.72

-20.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.40 $36.40

$29.72 $29.72

22.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.49 $1.49

-26.85%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$35.9K $35.9K

0.59%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.34%

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

$195 $195

$302 $302

-35.56%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$70.1 $70.1

-12.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$85.3 $85.3

-13.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.7 $59.7

$77.8 $77.8

-23.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$13.17 $13.17

$17.84 $17.84

-26.18%

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

$1,121 $1,121

$2,973 $2,973

-62.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$31.3K $31.3K

-49.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$76.6 $76.6

-29.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.66 $43.66

$54.1 $54.1

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$128 $128

-24.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$164 $164

-30.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$4,744 $4,744

-55.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,013 $3,013

$3,469 $3,469

-13.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$5,127 $5,127

-67.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 $4,368

$6,506 $6,506

-32.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.89

-6.53%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Surprise, AZ

$391 30.1%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 39.4% $154

Eating Out

Surprise, AZ

$346 26.6%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 15.6% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surprise, AZ

$330 25.3%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 38.7% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Surprise, AZ

$139 10.7%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 37% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Surprise, AZ

$86 6.6%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 32% $28

Getting Around

Surprise, AZ

$9.6 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 1250% $120

Accommodation & Living

Surprise, AZ

- * 0%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

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

Cost Breakdown

Seattle, WA pays 49% 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: $87.0 in Surprise, AZ vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $391 vs $546 per month, with Surprise, AZ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

Same time as Surprise, AZ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,148

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Surprise, AZ Seattle, WA 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Surprise, AZ
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

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

Surprise, AZ is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 191% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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.

Childcare runs $1,121 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,973 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 Surprise, AZ – a meal for two runs $87.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,301 in Surprise, AZ versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surprise, AZ but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Surprise, AZ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Surprise, AZ 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 Surprise, AZ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 191% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.