Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lafayette, CO and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lafayette, CO: $2,709 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, CO
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Lafayette, CO Living Index
184

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

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Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,709 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $2,709
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $3,773 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $3,773
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $4,838 per month in Lafayette, CO vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lafayette, CO $4,838
Seattle, WA $7,489

Lafayette, CO is about 28% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lafayette, CO and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Lafayette, CO by 100%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 $19.61

$24.52 $24.52

-20.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$98.2 $98.2

-24.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 $10.26

$14.79 $14.79

-30.63%

Cappuccino

$5.25 $5.25

$6.52 $6.52

-19.48%

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

$2.70 $2.70

$3.23 $3.23

-16.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.17 $3.17

-37.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.85 $7.85

-21.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.35 $7.35

$8.03 $8.03

-8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.21 $1.21

-23.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.14 $5.14

-22.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$6.05 $6.05

-33.39%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.88 $4.88

-12.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$19.18 $19.18

-39.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.42 $11.42

$18.91 $18.91

-39.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$23.31 $23.31

-22.61%

Apples (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$5.99 $5.99

-18.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.93 $1.93

-18.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$5.25 $5.25

-8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$6.57 $6.57

-21.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.62 $3.62

-32.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$3.31 $3.31

0.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.78 $2.78

-13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.51 $2.51

-17.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.97 $8.97

$12.18 $12.18

-26.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$14.83 $14.83

0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$4.22 $4.22

-53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.77 $5.77

-39.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.95 $2.95

-23.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.65 $2.65

13.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.72 $1.72

-8.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.06 $30.06

$29.72 $29.72

1.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.49 $1.49

-30.20%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$35.9K $35.9K

-30.06%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$26.2K $26.2K

4.22%

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

$159 $159

$302 $302

-47.32%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$70.1 $70.1

-15.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$85.3 $85.3

-20.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.03 $41.03

$77.8 $77.8

-47.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$12.89 $12.89

$17.84 $17.84

-27.75%

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

$1,302 $1,302

$2,973 $2,973

-56.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$31.3K $31.3K

-21.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$76.6 $76.6

-24.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.42 $37.42

$54.1 $54.1

-30.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$128 $128

-37.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$164 $164

-38.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$2,445 $2,445

-40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 $1,494

$1,947 $1,947

-23.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 $2,743

$4,744 $4,744

-42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,107 $2,107

$3,469 $3,469

-39.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,612 $2,612

$7,367 $7,367

-64.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,537 $2,537

$5,127 $5,127

-50.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

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

Last update for Lafayette, CO: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lafayette, CO

$1.5K 55.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 30.3% $452

Groceries & Markets

Lafayette, CO

$402 14.8%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 35.7% $144

Eating Out

Lafayette, CO

$315 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 27% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lafayette, CO

$286 10.6%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 59.6% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Lafayette, CO

$125 4.6%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 52.6% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Lafayette, CO

$67 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 69.9% $47

Getting Around

Lafayette, CO

$20 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 549% $109

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,455 in Lafayette, CO versus $2,445 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Lafayette, CO versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $546 – making Lafayette, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

16:46 4:46 PM

1 h behind Lafayette, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,729

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

Lafayette, CO Seattle, WA 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lafayette, CO
Seattle, WA

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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,063 per month in Lafayette, CO and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,709 in Lafayette, CO and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 40%.

Kindergarten costs $1,302 per month in Lafayette, CO and $2,973 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,709 in Lafayette, CO and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lafayette, CO – 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 Lafayette, CO. 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.