Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alameda, CA and Bothell, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bothell, WA: $3,183 a month against $4,107 in Alameda, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

200

Cost of Living Index in Alameda, CA
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Alameda, CA Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
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Bothell, WA Living Index

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Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,107

/mo nomad

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alameda, CA and in Bothell, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alameda, CA and in Bothell, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,107 per month in Alameda, CA vs $3,183 in Bothell, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $4,107
Bothell, WA $3,183

A couple spends around $6,120 per month in Alameda, CA vs $4,942 in Bothell, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $6,120
Bothell, WA $4,942

A family of three spends $8,134 per month in Alameda, CA vs $6,700 in Bothell, WA, rent included.

Alameda, CA $8,134
Bothell, WA $6,700

Alameda, CA costs about 29% more than Bothell, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Alameda, CA and Bothell, WA sit above the global median – Alameda, CA by 202%, Bothell, WA by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 $26.92

$25.19 $25.19

6.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$92.6 $92.6

8.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.97 $14.97

-0.20%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$6.58 $6.58

-12.01%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.08 $3.08

-1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.61 $2.61

0.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$7.99 $7.99

13.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$8.18 $8.18

22.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 $1.16

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.13 $4.13

-13.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$5.73 $5.73

-13.09%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$5.65 $5.65

-9.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 $10.99

$15.99 $15.99

-31.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$15.91 $15.91

-4.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 $22.36

$22.83 $22.83

-2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$5.16 $5.16

20.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.87 $1.87

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.30 $5.30

-17.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.44 $5.44

24.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.55 $3.55

-18.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.99 $2.99

11.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 $1.55

$2.26 $2.26

-31.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.86 $2.86

-8.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$12.19 $12.19

-2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 $14.48

$14.89 $14.89

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.61 $2.61

-32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.89 $4.89

-27.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.97 $2.97

-1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 $99.4

$101 $101

-1.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.61 $2.61

57.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.71 $1.71

16.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.11 $15.11

$30.52 $30.52

-50.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.39 $1.39

8.63%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$30.2K $30.2K

16.18%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

-3.55%

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

$134 $134

$233 $233

-42.63%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$48.56 $48.56

10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$78.6 $78.6

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$148 $148

$58.2 $58.2

154.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.56 $31.56

$11.99 $11.99

163.22%

Cinema Ticket

$17.06 $17.06

$14.90 $14.90

14.50%

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

$2,462 $2,462

$2,068 $2,068

19.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$31.0K $31.0K

-36.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 $43.07

$61.4 $61.4

-29.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.79 $36.79

$45.12 $45.12

-18.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$115 $115

-29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$163 $163

-13.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 $2,262

$1,923 $1,923

17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 $2,522

$1,541 $1,541

63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,580 $4,580

$3,463 $3,463

32.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,439 $4,439

$3,052 $3,052

45.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,362 $7,362

$5,922 $5,922

24.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,445 $5,445

$4,920 $4,920

10.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,610 $6,610

$6,220 $6,220

6.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.68

-0.75%

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

Last update for Alameda, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alameda, CA

$2.5K 61.4%

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 38.9% $980

Groceries & Markets

Alameda, CA

$461 11.2%

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5% 6.7% $31

Eating Out

Alameda, CA

$418 10.2%

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alameda, CA

$263 6.4%

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3% 37.1% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Alameda, CA

$182 4.4%

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8% 51.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Alameda, CA

$136 3.3%

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4% 27.1% $37

Getting Around

Alameda, CA

$125 3.1%

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9% 1% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,262 in Alameda, CA versus $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 6% higher in Alameda, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Alameda, CA versus $93 in Bothell, WA. Groceries tell a different story – $461 in Alameda, CA vs $492 in Bothell, WA – so Alameda, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🕒 Local time

07:02 7:02 AM

Same time as Alameda, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,624

48,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Alameda, CA Bothell, WA 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Alameda, CA
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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

Alameda, CA vs Bothell, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,107 in Alameda, CA, $3,183 in Bothell, WA – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,161 per month in Alameda, CA and $4,775 in Bothell, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bothell, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,923 there versus $2,262 in Alameda, CA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,107 in Alameda, CA and $3,183 in Bothell, WA. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $2,462 per month in Alameda, CA and $2,068 in Bothell, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,107 in Alameda, CA and $3,183 in Bothell, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Bothell, WA – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bothell, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alameda, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.