Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Oswego, OR and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR: $2,466 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
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Lake Oswego, OR Living Index
185

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

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Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,466

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,466 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $2,466
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,653 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $3,653
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $4,840 per month in Lake Oswego, OR vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lake Oswego, OR $4,840
Seattle, WA $7,603

Lake Oswego, OR is about 35% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lake Oswego, OR and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Lake Oswego, OR by 83%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.65 $21.65

$25.32 $25.32

-14.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$101 $101

-12.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 $10.90

$14.85 $14.85

-26.60%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$6.59 $6.59

-12.14%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$3.22 $3.22

-5.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.14 $3.14

-35.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.53 $6.53

$8.18 $8.18

-20.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.86 $5.86

$8.03 $8.03

-27.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.21 $1.21

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.99 $3.99

$5.12 $5.12

-22.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$6.30 $6.30

-14.60%

Eggs

$4.35 $4.35

$4.90 $4.90

-11.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$19.10 $19.10

-41.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.53 $10.53

$18.50 $18.50

-43.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.40 $17.40

$23.03 $23.03

-24.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.81 $5.81

-36.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.95 $1.95

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$5.29 $5.29

-47.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$6.48 $6.48

-60.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.57 $3.57

-40.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.15 $3.15

-43.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.85 $2.85

-32.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.42 $2.42

-26.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 $11.14

$12.75 $12.75

-12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 $10.95

$14.99 $14.99

-26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$4.17 $4.17

-57.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$5.99 $5.99

-39.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.04 $3.04

-34.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.55 $2.55

76.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.64 $1.64

-54.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.86 $23.86

$29.58 $29.58

-19.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.42 $1.42

-11.97%

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

$34.1K $34.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

-4.64%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

-5.19%

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

$151 $151

$299 $299

-49.65%

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

$46.45 $46.45

$70.8 $70.8

-34.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.5 $63.5

$88.3 $88.3

-28.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.10 $42.10

$79.5 $79.5

-47.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$17.12 $17.12

-13.38%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$3,013 $3,013

-55.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K $12.1K

$31.6K $31.6K

-61.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.20 $40.20

$77.2 $77.2

-47.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.33 $30.33

$55.1 $55.1

-44.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.9 $85.9

$126 $126

-31.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 $83.9

$163 $163

-48.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,586 $1,586

$2,464 $2,464

-35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$1,956 $1,956

-32.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 $2,506

$4,711 $4,711

-46.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 $2,165

$3,550 $3,550

-39.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,743 $2,743

$7,346 $7,346

-62.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,429 $2,429

$5,048 $5,048

-51.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.85

-2.63%

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

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 53.3%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 48.9% $643

Groceries & Markets

Lake Oswego, OR

$356 14.4%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 52.3% $186

Eating Out

Lake Oswego, OR

$340 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 20.2% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Oswego, OR

$260 10.6%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 75.9% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 75% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Oswego, OR

$72 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 58.5% $42

Getting Around

Lake Oswego, OR

$16 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 725% $117

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,586 in Lake Oswego, OR 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Lake Oswego, OR versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 vs $542 – making Lake Oswego, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

12:54 12:54 PM

Same time as Lake Oswego, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,731

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

Lake Oswego, OR Seattle, WA 240 km

From you

Lake Oswego, OR
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

Lake Oswego, OR vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,698 per month in Lake Oswego, OR 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 Lake Oswego, OR, 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 $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 54%.

Kindergarten costs $1,352 per month in Lake Oswego, OR and $3,013 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 $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lake Oswego, OR – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Lake Oswego, OR. 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.