Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Washington, DC and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Washington, DC and in Seattle, WA: $3,916 and $3,785 a month, rent and utilities included.

188

Cost of Living Index in Washington, DC
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Washington, DC Living Index
184

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

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Washington, DC

🇺🇸 United States

$3,916

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,916 in Washington, DC versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Washington, DC $3,916
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,027 in Washington, DC versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Washington, DC $6,027
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,138 in Washington, DC versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Washington, DC $8,138
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Washington, DC is roughly 3% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Washington, DC 188% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.10 $25.10

$25.30 $25.30

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$101 $101

7.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$14.76 $14.76

-20.26%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$6.50 $6.50

-8.31%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$3.21 $3.21

1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.14 $3.14

-16.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.16 $9.16

$7.97 $7.97

14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$8.13 $8.13

22.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.17 $1.17

14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.30 $5.30

-21.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.11 $7.11

$6.40 $6.40

11.09%

Eggs

$5.57 $5.57

$5.06 $5.06

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.91 $16.91

$18.71 $18.71

-9.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$18.72 $18.72

-8.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.48 $18.48

$22.88 $22.88

-19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$6.06 $6.06

17.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.95 $1.95

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.51 $5.51

-9.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$6.52 $6.52

-8.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.49 $3.49

-19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.29 $3.29

18.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.80 $2.80

-4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.58 $2.58

2.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 $13.78

$12.49 $12.49

10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.26 $16.26

$14.87 $14.87

9.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$4.19 $4.19

-20.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 $5.79

$5.80 $5.80

-0.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.05 $3.05

-1.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 $118

$106 $106

11.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.58 $2.58

52.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.64 $1.64

-2.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.78 $24.78

$30.12 $30.12

-17.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.41 $1.41

-21.99%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$36.8K $36.8K

-4.58%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.68%

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

$207 $207

$308 $308

-32.74%

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

$80.6 $80.6

$69.2 $69.2

16.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.7 $76.7

$86.1 $86.1

-10.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$76.5 $76.5

33.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$72.8 $72.8

$35.50 $35.50

105.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.93 $17.93

$18.02 $18.02

-0.50%

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

$2,990 $2,990

$2,746 $2,746

8.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.0K $42.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

37.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.8 $72.8

$79.2 $79.2

-8.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.32 $44.32

$54.3 $54.3

-18.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$127 $127

-19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 $124

$159 $159

-22.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,768 $2,768

$2,508 $2,508

10.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,938 $1,938

13.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,965 $4,965

$5,117 $5,117

-2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,186 $4,186

$3,542 $3,542

18.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,626 $7,626

$7,374 $7,374

3.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,793 $3,793

$5,002 $5,002

-24.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,454 $6,454

$6,470 $6,470

-0.24%

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 Washington, DC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Washington, DC

$2.2K 56.3%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 12.1% $267

Groceries & Markets

Washington, DC

$516 13.2%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 6% $31

Eating Out

Washington, DC

$397 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 2.4% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Washington, DC

$364 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 27.1% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Washington, DC

$154 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 22.2% $34

Getting Around

Washington, DC

$142 3.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 8.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Washington, DC

$138 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 18.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,768 in Washington, DC and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $109 in Washington, DC vs $101 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $516 vs $547, with Washington, DC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Washington, DC

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

09:28 9:28 AM

3 h behind Washington, DC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228 Capital

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

Washington, DC Seattle, WA 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Washington, DC
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

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

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,874 in Washington, DC and $5,677 in Seattle, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,768 in Washington, DC versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $109 in Washington, DC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,916 per month in Washington, DC versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

For families, Seattle, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Washington, DC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.