Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Merrillville, IN: $2,522 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index
184

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

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Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Merrillville, IN $2,522
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,513 in Merrillville, IN versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Merrillville, IN $3,513
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Merrillville, IN versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Merrillville, IN $4,505
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Merrillville, IN costs roughly 33% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merrillville, IN 85% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$25.30 $25.30

-40.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 $55.8

$101 $101

-44.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.76 $14.76

-32.66%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$6.50 $6.50

-31.08%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$3.21 $3.21

-29.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.14 $3.14

-29.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 $4.40

$7.97 $7.97

-44.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.13 $8.13

-26.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.17 $1.17

-37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$5.30 $5.30

-39.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$6.40 $6.40

-26.25%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$5.06 $5.06

-6.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$18.71 $18.71

-40.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$18.72 $18.72

-49.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 $22.23

$22.88 $22.88

-2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$6.06 $6.06

-4.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.95 $1.95

-42.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.51 $5.51

-20.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$6.52 $6.52

-12.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.49 $3.49

2.29%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.29 $3.29

31.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.80 $2.80

-12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.58 $2.58

-52.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 $11.07

$12.49 $12.49

-11.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$14.87 $14.87

-20.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$4.19 $4.19

-52.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.80 $5.80

-40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.05 $3.05

-42.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 $67.2

$106 $106

-36.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.58 $2.58

90.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.64 $1.64

10.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$30.12 $30.12

66.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.41 $1.41

-34.75%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.91%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.26%

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

$233 $233

$308 $308

-24.14%

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

$50.5 $50.5

$69.2 $69.2

-26.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$86.1 $86.1

-30.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 $37.20

$76.5 $76.5

-51.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$18.02 $18.02

-17.59%

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

$1,353 $1,353

$2,746 $2,746

-50.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$30.6K $30.6K

-22.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$79.2 $79.2

-32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 $40.27

$54.3 $54.3

-25.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$127 $127

-14.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 $95.5

$159 $159

-39.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 $1,400

$2,508 $2,508

-44.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,938 $1,938

-35.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$5,117 $5,117

-50.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 $1,796

$3,542 $3,542

-49.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,837 $2,837

$7,374 $7,374

-61.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 $2,031

$5,002 $5,002

-59.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.89

-5.22%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 55.8% $694

Groceries & Markets

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 40.3% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 34.7% $119

Eating Out

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 59.1% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 40.8% $55

Getting Around

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 46.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 68.1% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Merrillville, IN and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Merrillville, IN vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $547 per month, with Merrillville, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

10:16 10:16 AM

08:16 8:16 AM

2 h behind Merrillville, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,444

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Merrillville, IN Seattle, WA 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Merrillville, IN
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

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

Merrillville, IN and Seattle, WA differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,522 vs $3,785 including rent). Merrillville, IN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,783 in Merrillville, IN and $5,677 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: $1,400 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,353 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,746 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merrillville, IN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Merrillville, IN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Merrillville, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.