Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, CA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,110 in Union City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Union City, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

198

Cost of Living Index in Union City, CA
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Union City, CA Living Index
184

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

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Union City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,110

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,110 in Union City, CA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Union City, CA $4,110
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,063 in Union City, CA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Union City, CA $6,063
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,017 in Union City, CA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Union City, CA $8,017
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Union City, CA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Seattle, WA.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Union City, CA 202% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.07 $22.07

$25.30 $25.30

-12.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

-0.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.76 $14.76

-11.38%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$6.50 $6.50

-14.31%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.21 $3.21

-4.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.14 $3.14

-25.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.97 $7.97

2.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.90 $9.90

$8.13 $8.13

21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.17 $1.17

5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.45 $4.45

$5.30 $5.30

-16.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$6.40 $6.40

-37.19%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$5.06 $5.06

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.48 $19.48

$18.71 $18.71

4.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.20 $13.20

$18.72 $18.72

-29.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$22.88 $22.88

-61.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.06 $6.06

-13.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.95 $1.95

0.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$5.51 $5.51

-48.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$6.52 $6.52

-30.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.49 $3.49

-35.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.29 $3.29

-9.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.80 $2.80

-13.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.58 $2.58

-1.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.71 $11.71

$12.49 $12.49

-6.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$14.87 $14.87

5.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.19 $4.19

-40.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$5.80 $5.80

-42.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.58 $2.58

39.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.64 $1.64

16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.59 $29.59

$30.12 $30.12

-1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.41 $1.41

7.09%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.10%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.56%

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

$269 $269

$308 $308

-12.48%

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

$48.69 $48.69

$69.2 $69.2

-29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.2 $82.2

$86.1 $86.1

-4.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.35 $41.35

$76.5 $76.5

-45.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$16.30 $16.30

$18.02 $18.02

-9.54%

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

$1,855 $1,855

$2,746 $2,746

-32.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.3K $39.3K

$30.6K $30.6K

28.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.50 $41.50

$79.2 $79.2

-47.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$54.3 $54.3

-6.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.6 $87.6

$127 $127

-30.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$159 $159

-24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 $3,520

$2,508 $2,508

40.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,700 $2,700

$1,938 $1,938

39.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,762 $4,762

$5,117 $5,117

-6.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,896 $4,896

$3,542 $3,542

38.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,256 $7,256

$6,470 $6,470

12.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.89

-3.19%

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

Last update for Union City, CA: 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

Union City, CA

$2.7K 65.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 28.2% $761

Groceries & Markets

Union City, CA

$423 10.3%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 29.3% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, CA

$400 9.7%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 15.7% $63

Eating Out

Union City, CA

$365 8.9%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 11.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, CA

$135 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 39.6% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, CA

$74 1.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 52.1% $39

Getting Around

Union City, CA

$13 * 0.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 881% $116

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 $3,520 in Union City, CA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Union City, CA pays 12% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Union City, CA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $423 vs $547 per month, with Union City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, CA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

08:11 8:11 AM

Same time as Union City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Union City, CA Seattle, WA 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Union City, CA
Seattle, WA

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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

Union City, CA vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 12% higher in Union City, CA, 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: $3,520 in Union City, CA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Union City, CA pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Childcare runs $1,855 in Union City, CA versus $2,746 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 $2,500. Seattle, WA 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 – Seattle, WA wins on affordability, Union City, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.