Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Thousand Oaks, CA and in Seattle, WA: $3,797 and $3,800 a month, rent and utilities included.

187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
185

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

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,699 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699
Seattle, WA $7,603

Monthly costs are close between Thousand Oaks, CA and Seattle, WA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thousand Oaks, CA 181% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$25.32 $25.32

-0.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 $100.0

$101 $101

-1.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$14.85 $14.85

-42.09%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$6.59 $6.59

-15.78%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.22 $3.22

-12.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.14 $3.14

-37.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.18 $8.18

0.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 $9.72

$8.03 $8.03

21.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.21 $1.21

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$5.12 $5.12

-23.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$6.30 $6.30

-44.29%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$4.90 $4.90

3.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$19.10 $19.10

-34.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$18.50 $18.50

9.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$23.03 $23.03

-4.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.81 $5.81

-7.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.29 $5.29

-10.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.48 $6.48

-8.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$3.57 $3.57

3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.15 $3.15

-9.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.85 $2.85

-43.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.42 $2.42

-8.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$12.75 $12.75

-20.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$14.99 $14.99

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$4.17 $4.17

-59.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$5.99 $5.99

-74.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.55 $2.55

71.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.64 $1.64

10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.85 $35.85

$29.58 $29.58

21.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.42 $1.42

4.23%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.76%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.17%

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

$163 $163

$299 $299

-45.62%

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

$48.06 $48.06

$70.8 $70.8

-32.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$88.3 $88.3

-21.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$79.5 $79.5

-15.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 $22.43

$35.37 $35.37

-36.58%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$17.12 $17.12

-30.26%

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

$1,781 $1,781

$3,013 $3,013

-40.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K $42.1K

$31.6K $31.6K

33.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$77.2 $77.2

-34.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 $30.09

$55.1 $55.1

-45.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$126 $126

-36.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$163 $163

-27.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$2,464 $2,464

5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$1,956 $1,956

25.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,705 $3,705

$4,711 $4,711

-21.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 $3,513

$3,550 $3,550

-1.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,959 $5,959

$7,346 $7,346

-18.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,896 $5,896

$5,048 $5,048

16.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,918 $5,918

$6,286 $6,286

-5.86%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: 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

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 20.1% $492

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 16% $75

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 9.6% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 63.6% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 51.8% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 25.3% $23

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 892% $120

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 $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Thousand Oaks, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $542 per month, with Thousand Oaks, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

Same time as Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Thousand Oaks, CA Seattle, WA 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, CA
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

Thousand Oaks, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 6% 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: $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA 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 Thousand Oaks, CA – a meal for two runs $100 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $1,781 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Thousand Oaks, CA 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, Thousand Oaks, CA 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.

It comes down to priorities – Thousand Oaks, CA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.