Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, WA and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, WA: $2,779 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index
184

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

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Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,779 in Arlington, WA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Arlington, WA $2,779
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,295 in Arlington, WA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Arlington, WA $4,295
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,810 in Arlington, WA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Arlington, WA $5,810
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Arlington, WA costs roughly 27% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arlington, WA 104% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.91 $24.91

$25.30 $25.30

-1.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$101 $101

-2.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.96 $13.96

$14.76 $14.76

-5.42%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$6.50 $6.50

-9.23%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$3.21 $3.21

-8.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.14 $3.14

-3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$7.97 $7.97

-13.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.13 $8.13

-14.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.17 $1.17

-11.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$5.30 $5.30

-30.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$6.40 $6.40

-35.00%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$5.06 $5.06

-21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$18.71 $18.71

-25.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$18.72 $18.72

-30.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$22.88 $22.88

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.06 $6.06

-16.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.95 $1.95

-5.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.51 $5.51

-23.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$6.52 $6.52

-27.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.49 $3.49

-42.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$3.29 $3.29

-27.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.80 $2.80

-4.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.08 $12.08

$12.49 $12.49

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$14.87 $14.87

1.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.19 $4.19

-50.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 $4.36

$5.80 $5.80

-24.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.58 $2.58

1.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.64 $1.64

0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.89 $29.89

$30.12 $30.12

-0.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.98%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.45%

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

$294 $294

$308 $308

-4.28%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$69.2 $69.2

-1.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.9 $86.9

$86.1 $86.1

1.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.47 $32.47

$76.5 $76.5

-57.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$17.68 $17.68

$18.02 $18.02

-1.89%

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

$2,749 $2,749

$2,746 $2,746

0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.6K $30.6K

2.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$79.2 $79.2

-36.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$54.3 $54.3

2.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$127 $127

-19.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$159 $159

-14.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 $1,519

$2,508 $2,508

-39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 $1,281

$1,938 $1,938

-33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,805 $2,805

$5,117 $5,117

-45.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$3,542 $3,542

-28.56%

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)

$5,787 $5,787

$6,470 $6,470

-10.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.89

-1.16%

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

Last update for Arlington, WA: 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

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 51.3% $657

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, WA

$449 16.2%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 3% $14

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, WA

$431 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 26.9% $116

Eating Out

Arlington, WA

$384 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 5.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, WA

$155 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 22.1% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, WA

$68 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 65.9% $45

Getting Around

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 1083% $118

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 $1,519 in Arlington, WA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 12% 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: $98 in Arlington, WA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $547 per month, with Arlington, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Arlington, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Arlington, WA Seattle, WA 68 km

From you

Arlington, WA
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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,779 in Arlington, WA and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Arlington, WA is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Arlington, WA. 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: $1,519 in Arlington, WA versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,779 per month in Arlington, WA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Arlington, WA is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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 – Arlington, WA wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.