Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Williston, ND and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Williston, ND: $2,269 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
Learn more

Williston, ND Living Index
182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,269 in Williston, ND versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

Williston, ND $2,269
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,718 in Williston, ND versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

Williston, ND $3,718
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,166 in Williston, ND versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

Williston, ND $5,166
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in Williston, ND costs roughly 40% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Williston, ND 68% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$23.80 $23.80

-15.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$98.6 $98.6

-23.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$14.94 $14.94

-23.96%

Cappuccino

$5.23 $5.23

$6.79 $6.79

-22.97%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$3.23 $3.23

-14.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.15 $3.15

-36.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.39 $5.39

$8.21 $8.21

-34.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$7.87 $7.87

-13.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.17 $1.17

-17.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 $2.04

$5.29 $5.29

-61.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.76 $5.76

-28.82%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$4.89 $4.89

-15.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.04 $30.04

$20.25 $20.25

48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$17.95 $17.95

-29.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$23.35 $23.35

-40.30%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.94 $5.94

-12.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.89 $1.89

-2.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$5.35 $5.35

-20.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$6.57 $6.57

-28.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.39 $3.39

-15.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.88 $2.88

2.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.89 $2.89

-26.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.43 $2.43

-9.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$12.18 $12.18

-16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.37 $15.37

$15.24 $15.24

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$4.38 $4.38

-56.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.89 $5.89

-36.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.96 $2.96

-38.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.8 $68.8

$109 $109

-37.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.52 $2.52

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.72 $1.72

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.58 $32.58

$29.70 $29.70

9.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.51 $1.51

-29.80%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$36.2K $36.2K

-33.16%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

-3.38%

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

$197 $197

$289 $289

-31.69%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$69.1 $69.1

-15.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$84.8 $84.8

-12.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.64 $41.64

$69.4 $69.4

-40.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$13.64 $13.64

$17.97 $17.97

-24.10%

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

$1,360 $1,360

$2,819 $2,819

-51.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K $20.1K

$43.9K $43.9K

-54.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$91.2 $91.2

-41.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.89 $40.89

$55.1 $55.1

-25.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 $95.6

$127 $127

-24.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$162 $162

-36.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$997 $997

$2,579 $2,579

-61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$1,943 $1,943

-53.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$5,100 $5,100

-59.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$3,541 $3,541

-39.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,237 $2,237

$7,357 $7,357

-69.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 $2,273

$4,921 $4,921

-53.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,795 $5,795

$6,448 $6,448

-10.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.8

-3.09%

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

Last update for Williston, ND: November 2, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Williston, ND

$901 39.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 116% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Williston, ND

$433 19.1%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 25.7% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Williston, ND

$330 14.6%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 34% $112

Eating Out

Williston, ND

$317 14%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 25.9% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Williston, ND

$132 5.8%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 48.4% $64

Getting Around

Williston, ND

$87 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 52.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Williston, ND

$69 3%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 52.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $997 in Williston, ND and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 11% 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: $76 in Williston, ND vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $433 vs $544 per month, with Williston, ND cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

2 h behind Williston, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Williston, ND Seattle, WA 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Williston, ND
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

Williston, ND vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williston, ND is about 40% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Williston, ND. 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: $997 in Williston, ND versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Williston, ND – a meal for two runs $76 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,269 per month in Williston, ND versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – Williston, ND is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,269 in Williston, ND versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Williston, ND but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Williston, ND the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Williston, ND gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.