Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, NE and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, NE: $2,275 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, NE
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Bellevue, NE Living Index
185

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

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Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,275

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,275 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $2,275
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,435 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $3,435
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $4,596 per month in Bellevue, NE vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Bellevue, NE $4,596
Seattle, WA $7,603

Bellevue, NE is about 40% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bellevue, NE and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Bellevue, NE by 69%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 $20.19

$25.32 $25.32

-20.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.2 $77.2

$101 $101

-23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 $12.08

$14.85 $14.85

-18.65%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$6.59 $6.59

-9.86%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$3.22 $3.22

-22.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$3.14 $3.14

-40.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$8.18 $8.18

-25.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$8.03 $8.03

-4.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.21 $1.21

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.12 $5.12

-37.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$6.30 $6.30

-29.21%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$4.90 $4.90

-13.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$19.10 $19.10

-40.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$18.50 $18.50

-46.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.54 $15.54

$23.03 $23.03

-32.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.81 $5.81

-22.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.95 $1.95

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.29 $5.29

-17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.48 $6.48

-33.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$3.57 $3.57

-47.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.15 $3.15

-6.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.85 $2.85

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.42 $2.42

2.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.05 $8.05

$12.75 $12.75

-36.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 $15.53

$14.99 $14.99

3.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.17 $4.17

-52.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$5.99 $5.99

-6.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.04 $3.04

-35.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.8 $78.8

$110 $110

-28.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.55 $2.55

18.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.64 $1.64

-17.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.45 $25.45

$29.58 $29.58

-13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.42 $1.42

-28.17%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$35.7K $35.7K

-2.69%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

6.15%

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

$202 $202

$299 $299

-32.52%

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

$65.1 $65.1

$70.8 $70.8

-8.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.2 $72.2

$88.3 $88.3

-18.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.16 $42.16

$79.5 $79.5

-46.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.14 $40.14

$35.37 $35.37

13.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$17.12 $17.12

-13.38%

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

$971 $971

$3,013 $3,013

-67.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.4K $19.4K

$31.6K $31.6K

-38.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.6 $59.6

$77.2 $77.2

-22.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.97 $43.97

$55.1 $55.1

-20.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$126 $126

-21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$163 $163

-24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,121 $1,121

$2,464 $2,464

-54.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$909 $909

$1,956 $1,956

-53.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,859 $1,859

$4,711 $4,711

-60.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$3,550 $3,550

-55.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,804 $2,804

$7,346 $7,346

-61.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,440 $2,440

$5,048 $5,048

-51.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,084 $5,084

$6,286 $6,286

-19.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.85

-4.09%

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

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, NE

$909 40%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 115% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, NE

$380 16.7%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 42.6% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, NE

$339 14.9%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 35.1% $119

Eating Out

Bellevue, NE

$332 14.6%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 23% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, NE

$146 6.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 29.5% $43

Getting Around

Bellevue, NE

$96 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 37.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, NE

$72 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 58.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,121 in Bellevue, NE versus $2,464 in Seattle, 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 24% higher in Seattle, WA, 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 $77.0 in Bellevue, NE versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $380 vs $542 – making Bellevue, NE the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

07:05 7:05 AM

2 h behind Bellevue, NE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bellevue, NE Seattle, WA 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, NE
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, $3,800 in Seattle, WA – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,412 per month in Bellevue, NE and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bellevue, NE, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $77.0 in Bellevue, NE and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,275 in Bellevue, NE and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bellevue, NE, where all-in costs run around $2,275, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Bellevue, NE it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,275 in Bellevue, NE to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Bellevue, NE. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.