Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bothell, WA: $3,183 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

154

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

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

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Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,183 in Bothell, WA versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Bothell, WA $3,183
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,942 in Bothell, WA versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Bothell, WA $4,942
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,700 in Bothell, WA versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Bothell, WA $6,700
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Bothell, WA costs roughly 16% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bothell, WA 134% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.19 $25.19

$25.30 $25.30

-0.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.6 $92.6

$101 $101

-8.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.76 $14.76

1.42%

Cappuccino

$6.58 $6.58

$6.50 $6.50

1.23%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.21 $3.21

-4.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.14 $3.14

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$7.97 $7.97

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.13 $8.13

0.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.17 $1.17

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.30 $5.30

-22.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$6.40 $6.40

-10.47%

Eggs

$5.65 $5.65

$5.06 $5.06

11.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$18.71 $18.71

-14.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$18.72 $18.72

-15.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$22.88 $22.88

-0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.06 $6.06

-14.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.95 $1.95

-4.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$5.51 $5.51

-3.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$6.52 $6.52

-16.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.49 $3.49

1.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.29 $3.29

-9.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.80 $2.80

-19.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.58 $2.58

10.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$12.49 $12.49

-2.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$14.87 $14.87

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$4.19 $4.19

-37.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$5.80 $5.80

-15.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.05 $3.05

-2.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$106 $106

-4.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.58 $2.58

1.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.64 $1.64

4.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.52 $30.52

$30.12 $30.12

1.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.41 $1.41

-1.42%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$36.8K $36.8K

-18.00%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

2.22%

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

$233 $233

$308 $308

-24.13%

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

$48.56 $48.56

$69.2 $69.2

-29.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$86.1 $86.1

-8.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$76.5 $76.5

-23.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 $11.99

$35.50 $35.50

-66.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.90 $14.90

$18.02 $18.02

-17.31%

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

$2,068 $2,068

$2,746 $2,746

-24.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.0K $31.0K

$30.6K $30.6K

1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.4 $61.4

$79.2 $79.2

-22.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.12 $45.12

$54.3 $54.3

-16.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$127 $127

-8.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$159 $159

2.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,923 $1,923

$2,508 $2,508

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$1,938 $1,938

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,463 $3,463

$5,117 $5,117

-32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,052 $3,052

$3,542 $3,542

-13.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,922 $5,922

$7,374 $7,374

-19.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,920 $4,920

$5,002 $5,002

-1.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,220 $6,220

$6,470 $6,470

-3.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.89

-3.05%

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

Last update for Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 25.8% $397

Groceries & Markets

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 11.1% $55

Eating Out

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 0.4% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 28.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 9% $16

Getting Around

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 4.1% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 27.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,923 in Bothell, WA and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 4% 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: $93 in Bothell, WA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $492 vs $547 per month, with Bothell, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

Same time as Bothell, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,161

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Bothell, WA and Seattle, WA differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($3,183 vs $3,785 including rent). Bothell, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Bothell, 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: $1,923 in Bothell, 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 11% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bothell, WA – a meal for two runs $93 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bothell, 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.

Expats usually find Bothell, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.