🇺🇸Cost of Living in Seattle

United States · Population: 737,015 · Cost Index: 85/100

Cost of Living in Seattle

United States · North America

Seattle is a major city in the Pacific Northwest, surrounded by water, mountains, and evergreen forests. Home to tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, Seattle boasts a thriving coffee culture, iconic Pike Place Market, and a progressive urban lifestyle.

737,015

Population

Cost Index

Safety Index

Quality of Life

Average Monthly Cost: $3,550 (single person, excluding rent)

Estimated monthly budget in Seattle

Typical total monthly cost by household type.

Single person

$3,550

per month

Couple

$5,330

per month

Family of 4

$7,460

per month

Student

$2,660

per month

Estimates based on the average cost of living in Seattle, scaled by household size. Actual costs vary with lifestyle, neighbourhood and housing.

Cost Breakdown

Housing

Avg: $3,075.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$2,500.00

1-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$1,800.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (City Center)(per month)

$4,800.00

3-Bedroom Apartment (Outside Center)(per month)

$3,200.00

Food & Groceries

Avg: $16.37

Meal at Inexpensive Restaurant(per meal)

$22.00

Meal for 2 at Mid-Range Restaurant(per meal)

$95.00

McMeal at McDonald's(per meal)

$11.50

Milk (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.30

Bread (500g loaf)(per loaf)

$4.10

Rice (1 kg)(per kg)

$4.80

Eggs (12)(per dozen)

$4.50

Chicken Breast (1 kg)(per kg)

$13.50

Apples (1 kg)(per kg)

$5.20

Banana (1 kg)(per kg)

$1.75

Transportation

Avg: $21.49

Monthly Public Transit Pass(per month)

$99.00

One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)(per trip)

$2.75

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)(base fare)

$2.60

Taxi 1km (Normal Tariff)(per km)

$1.90

Gasoline (1 liter)(per liter)

$1.20

Utilities

Avg: $95.00

Basic Utilities (85m² Apt)(per month)

$170.00

Mobile Phone Plan(per month)

$50.00

Internet (60 Mbps+)(per month)

$65.00

Healthcare

Avg: $154.33

Doctor Visit(per visit)

$230.00

Dentist Visit(per visit)

$185.00

Prescription Medicine (avg)(per prescription)

$48.00

Entertainment

Avg: $20.94

Fitness Club Monthly(per month)

$55.00

Cinema Ticket(per ticket)

$15.50

Cappuccino(per cup)

$5.25

Beer (0.5l) at Restaurant(per glass)

$8.00

Clothing

Avg: $60.67

Pair of Jeans (Levi's)(per pair)

$52.00

Summer Dress (Chain Store)(per item)

$40.00

Running Shoes (Nike, Adidas)(per pair)

$90.00

Popular Seattle comparisons

Seattle vs New York Seattle vs Los Angeles Seattle vs Chicago Seattle vs Houston Seattle vs London Seattle vs Tokyo Seattle vs Singapore Seattle vs Dubai

Frequently asked questions about Seattle

Is Seattle expensive to live in?

Seattle has a cost of living index of 85 out of 100, where New York City scores 100. This makes it relatively expensive compared with most cities we track.

How much money do you need to live in Seattle?

A single person needs an estimated $3,550 per month to live in Seattle, covering rent, food, transport and other essentials. A family or a more comfortable lifestyle will cost more.

What is the cost of living index in Seattle?

Seattle's cost of living index is 85 out of 100. The index is relative to New York City (100), so a score of 50 means overall costs are roughly half those of New York.

What is quality of life like in Seattle?

Seattle scores 64 out of 100 for quality of life and 50 out of 100 for safety in our index.

Data & sources

As an independent cross-check, the World Bank puts the overall price level in United States at 100 relative to the United States (=100) in 2024. View source

Cost figures on this site are independent estimates, cross-referenced with public data sources including World Bank, Numbeo, Eurostat, OECD.