Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellevue, WA and Waltham, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, WA: $3,763 a month against $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waltham, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
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Bellevue, WA Living Index
205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index

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Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bellevue, WA and in Waltham, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,763 in Bellevue, WA versus $4,278 in Waltham, MA.

Bellevue, WA $3,763
Waltham, MA $4,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Bellevue, WA versus $6,563 in Waltham, MA.

Bellevue, WA $5,702
Waltham, MA $6,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,641 in Bellevue, WA versus $8,848 in Waltham, MA.

Bellevue, WA $7,641
Waltham, MA $8,848

Living in Bellevue, WA costs roughly 12% less than in Waltham, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bellevue, WA 177% above, Waltham, MA 214% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.38 $25.38

$24.85 $24.85

2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$96.5 $96.5

4.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.03 $13.03

$12.02 $12.02

8.40%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$5.17 $5.17

12.19%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.95 $2.95

6.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.20 $2.20

14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$5.04 $5.04

56.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$8.06 $8.06

-1.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.04 $1.04

5.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.92 $3.92

18.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.37 $5.37

12.66%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.89 $4.89

13.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.07 $11.07

44.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$14.16 $14.16

14.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.78 $22.78

$17.36 $17.36

31.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.61 $5.61

$6.66 $6.66

-15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.73 $1.73

8.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$5.48 $5.48

1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.65 $5.65

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$4.52 $4.52

-38.72%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.02 $4.02

-17.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.98 $2.98

-33.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.94 $2.94

-15.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.41 $12.41

$13.30 $13.30

-6.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.19 $18.19

$13.60 $13.60

33.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.11 $2.11

0.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.75 $4.75

$4.12 $4.12

15.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$58.8 $58.8

87.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.66 $2.66

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.72 $1.72

-1.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.09 $30.09

$28.47 $28.47

5.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.05 $1.05

34.29%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$27.0K $27.0K

5.93%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.1K $26.1K

0.90%

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

$227 $227

$324 $324

-29.71%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$54.6 $54.6

-0.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.8 $64.8

$86.2 $86.2

-24.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$186 $186

$252 $252

-26.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

Cinema Ticket

$18.28 $18.28

$14.65 $14.65

24.78%

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

$1,980 $1,980

$1,806 $1,806

9.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$30.3K $30.3K

5.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.1 $62.1

$56.9 $56.9

9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.06 $44.06

$37.57 $37.57

17.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 $99.2

$81.3 $81.3

22.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$98.8 $98.8

26.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$2,497 $2,497

17.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$2,525 $2,525

-19.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,554 $6,554

$5,433 $5,433

20.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,722 $3,722

$5,088 $5,088

-26.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,751 $8,751

$5,449 $5,449

60.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

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

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9%

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59% 24.5% $497

Groceries & Markets

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1%

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6% 7.9% $39

Eating Out

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4%

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4% 7.9% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2%

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9% 34.1% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9%

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6% 26.5% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bellevue, WA

$149 4%

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9% 17% $25

Getting Around

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6%

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6% 47.5% $63

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 $2,940 in Bellevue, WA and $2,497 in Waltham, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Bellevue, WA vs $96 in Waltham, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $455 per month, with Waltham, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🕒 Local time

05:10 5:10 AM

08:10 8:10 AM

3 h ahead of Bellevue, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

151,854

60,636

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bellevue, WA Waltham, MA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellevue, WA
Waltham, MA

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

Bellevue, WA vs Waltham, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellevue, WA is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in leisure and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Bellevue, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,940 in Bellevue, WA versus $2,497 in Waltham, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Waltham, MA – a meal for two runs $96 versus $101 in Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,763 per month in Bellevue, WA versus $4,278 in Waltham, MA – Bellevue, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bellevue, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Bellevue, WA and Waltham, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.