Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lewiston, ME and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ME: $2,756 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ME
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Lewiston, ME Living Index
185

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

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Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,756 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $2,756
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $4,038 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $4,038
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $5,321 per month in Lewiston, ME vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Lewiston, ME $5,321
Seattle, WA $7,603

Lewiston, ME is about 27% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lewiston, ME and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Lewiston, ME by 104%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.04 $18.04

$25.32 $25.32

-28.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.4 $95.4

$101 $101

-6.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.76 $13.76

$14.85 $14.85

-7.34%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$6.59 $6.59

-16.69%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.22 $3.22

-7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.14 $3.14

-13.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$8.18 $8.18

-37.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.03 $8.03

-2.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.21 $1.21

-14.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$5.12 $5.12

-22.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$6.30 $6.30

-15.87%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$4.90 $4.90

-4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$19.10 $19.10

-41.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 $14.29

$18.50 $18.50

-22.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$23.03 $23.03

-24.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.80 $6.80

$5.81 $5.81

17.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.95 $1.95

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$5.29 $5.29

27.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$6.48 $6.48

-13.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.57 $3.57

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.15 $3.15

37.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.85 $2.85

4.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.42 $2.42

-7.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$12.75 $12.75

-31.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 $13.66

$14.99 $14.99

-8.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$4.17 $4.17

-50.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$5.99 $5.99

-31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.04 $3.04

-28.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.55 $2.55

15.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.64 $1.64

-9.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.88 $30.88

$29.58 $29.58

4.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.42 $1.42

-23.94%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

3.83%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.94%

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

$319 $319

$299 $299

6.65%

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

$107 $107

$70.8 $70.8

50.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 $86.7

$88.3 $88.3

-1.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.44 $39.44

$79.5 $79.5

-50.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$17.12 $17.12

-12.27%

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

$1,852 $1,852

$3,013 $3,013

-38.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.9K $29.9K

$31.6K $31.6K

-5.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.21 $16.21

$77.2 $77.2

-79.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.27 $38.27

$55.1 $55.1

-30.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$126 $126

-35.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 $100.0

$163 $163

-38.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$993 $993

$2,464 $2,464

-59.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,956 $1,956

-34.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,496 $2,496

$4,711 $4,711

-47.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,139 $2,139

$3,550 $3,550

-39.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,346 $2,346

$7,346 $7,346

-68.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 $2,234

$5,048 $5,048

-55.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.85

-3.07%

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

Last update for Lewiston, ME: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lewiston, ME

$1.3K 46.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 52.3% $672

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lewiston, ME

$512 18.6%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 10.6% $54

Groceries & Markets

Lewiston, ME

$449 16.3%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 20.7% $93

Eating Out

Lewiston, ME

$316 11.5%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 29.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Lewiston, ME

$106 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 78.5% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Lewiston, ME

$69 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 63.7% $44

Getting Around

Lewiston, ME

$19 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 594% $114

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $993 in Lewiston, ME 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 $95.0 in Lewiston, ME versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $449 vs $542 – making Lewiston, ME the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ME

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

14:29 2:29 PM

3 h behind Lewiston, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,226

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

Lewiston, ME Seattle, WA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Lewiston, ME
Seattle, WA

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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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 38%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,133 per month in Lewiston, ME 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 Lewiston, ME, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Lewiston, ME and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Lewiston, ME, where all-in costs run around $2,756, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Lewiston, ME it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lewiston, ME – 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 Lewiston, ME. 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.