Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lakewood, WA: $3,284 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

158

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

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

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Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,284 in Lakewood, WA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Lakewood, WA $3,284
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,777 in Lakewood, WA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Lakewood, WA $4,777
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,270 in Lakewood, WA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Lakewood, WA $6,270
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Lakewood, WA costs roughly 13% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lakewood, WA 142% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.09 $18.09

$24.52 $24.52

-26.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 $67.6

$98.2 $98.2

-31.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 $12.71

$14.79 $14.79

-14.06%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$6.52 $6.52

-20.25%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$3.23 $3.23

-7.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.17 $3.17

-35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$7.85 $7.85

-50.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 $6.10

$8.03 $8.03

-24.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.21 $1.21

-15.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$5.14 $5.14

-28.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$6.05 $6.05

-29.92%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.88 $4.88

-19.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$19.18 $19.18

-28.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$18.91 $18.91

-54.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.21 $11.21

$23.31 $23.31

-51.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.99 $5.99

-26.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.93 $1.93

0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$5.25 $5.25

-20.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.57 $6.57

-31.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.62 $3.62

-45.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.31 $3.31

-35.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.78 $2.78

-27.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.51 $2.51

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$12.18 $12.18

1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.84 $15.84

$14.83 $14.83

6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$4.22 $4.22

-53.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.77 $5.77

-28.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.95 $2.95

-30.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$197 $197

$106 $106

85.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.65 $2.65

-23.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.72 $1.72

-62.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.31 $27.31

$29.72 $29.72

-8.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.49 $1.49

-10.07%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$35.9K $35.9K

-21.72%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.23%

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

$289 $289

$302 $302

-4.34%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$70.1 $70.1

5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$85.3 $85.3

4.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.00 $41.00

$77.8 $77.8

-47.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.97 $24.97

$34.58 $34.58

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$18.08 $18.08

$17.84 $17.84

1.35%

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

$1,965 $1,965

$2,973 $2,973

-33.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K $25.7K

$31.3K $31.3K

-17.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$76.6 $76.6

-34.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 $38.11

$54.1 $54.1

-29.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$128 $128

-21.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$164 $164

-17.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$2,445 $2,445

-19.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,733 $1,733

$1,947 $1,947

-10.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,365 $3,365

$4,744 $4,744

-29.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,047 $3,047

$3,469 $3,469

-12.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,359 $2,359

$7,367 $7,367

-67.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$5,127 $5,127

-49.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.89

-1.16%

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

Last update for Lakewood, WA: 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

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 12.3% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 1.1% $5

Groceries & Markets

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 48% $177

Eating Out

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 34.5% $103

Getting Around

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 38.5% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 30.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 47.1% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,961 in Lakewood, WA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $68.0 in Lakewood, WA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $369 vs $546 per month, with Lakewood, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:29 7:29 PM

Same time as Lakewood, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

140,024

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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

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

Lakewood, WA and Seattle, WA differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($3,284 vs $3,782 including rent). Lakewood, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,926 in Lakewood, WA and $5,673 in Seattle, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,961 in Lakewood, WA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lakewood, WA – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,284 per month in Lakewood, WA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lakewood, 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, Lakewood, WA and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lakewood, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.