Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
Learn more

Bothell, WA Living Index
200

Cost of Living Index in Alameda, CA
Learn more

Alameda, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,107

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bothell, WA is about 22% cheaper than Alameda, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 $25.19

$26.92 $26.92

-6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.6 $92.6

$101 $101

-8.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.94 $14.94

0.20%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$5.79 $5.79

13.64%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.04 $3.04

1.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.63 $2.63

-0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$9.08 $9.08

-12.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$9.98 $9.98

-18.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.20 $1.20

-3.33%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.58 $3.58

15.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$4.98 $4.98

15.06%

Eggs

$5.65 $5.65

$5.11 $5.11

10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$10.99 $10.99

45.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$15.21 $15.21

4.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$22.36 $22.36

2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.24 $6.24

-17.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.75 $2.75

-32.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.39 $4.39

20.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$6.76 $6.76

-19.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.90 $2.90

22.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.32 $3.32

-9.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.55 $1.55

45.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.62 $2.62

9.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$11.86 $11.86

2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$14.48 $14.48

2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.77 $1.77

47.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.55 $3.55

37.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.92 $2.92

1.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$99.4 $99.4

1.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 $2.61

$4.10 $4.10

-36.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.00 $2.00

-14.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$15.11 $15.11

101.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.51 $1.51

-7.95%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$35.1K $35.1K

-13.93%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.2K $26.2K

3.68%

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

$233 $233

$134 $134

74.30%

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

$48.56 $48.56

$53.4 $53.4

-9.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$75.6 $75.6

3.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$148 $148

-60.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 $11.99

$31.56 $31.56

-62.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$17.06 $17.06

-12.66%

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

$2,068 $2,068

$2,462 $2,462

-16.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$19.7K $19.7K

57.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 $61.4

$43.07 $43.07

42.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.12 $45.12

$36.79 $36.79

22.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$81.4 $81.4

41.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$141 $141

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$2,262 $2,262

-14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$2,522 $2,522

-38.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,463 $3,463

$4,580 $4,580

-24.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 $3,052

$4,439 $4,439

-31.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$7,362 $7,362

-19.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,920 $4,920

$5,445 $5,445

-9.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$6,610 $6,610

-5.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.63

0.75%

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

Last update for Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Alameda, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Alameda, CA

$2.5K 61.4% 63.6% $980

Groceries & Markets

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5%

Alameda, CA

$461 11.2% 6.3% $31

Eating Out

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7%

Alameda, CA

$418 10.2% 3.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3%

Alameda, CA

$263 6.4% 27.1% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4%

Alameda, CA

$136 3.3% 21.3% $37

Getting Around

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9%

Alameda, CA

$125 3.1% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8%

Alameda, CA

$182 4.4% 107% $94

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,923 in Bothell, WA versus $2,262 in Alameda, CA. 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 $93 in Bothell, WA versus $101 in Alameda, CA. Groceries tell a different story – $492 in Bothell, WA vs $461 in Alameda, CA – so Alameda, CA wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 Alameda, CA

🕒 Local time

04:02 4:02 AM

Same time as Bothell, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,161

77,624

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Bothell, WA
Alameda, CA

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,775 per month in Bothell, WA and $6,161 in Alameda, CA. 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 $3,183 in Bothell, WA and $4,107 in Alameda, CA. That’s a gap of about 29%.

Kindergarten costs $2,068 per month in Bothell, WA and $2,462 in Alameda, CA. 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 $3,183 in Bothell, WA and $4,107 in Alameda, CA. 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.