Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Olympia, WA: $2,983 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
Learn more

Olympia, WA Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,983

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,983 per month in Olympia, WA vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Olympia, WA $2,983
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $4,154 per month in Olympia, WA vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Olympia, WA $4,154
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $5,325 per month in Olympia, WA vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Olympia, WA $5,325
Seattle, WA $7,489

Olympia, WA is about 21% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Olympia, WA and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Olympia, WA by 120%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$98.2 $98.2

-33.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.68 $12.68

$14.79 $14.79

-14.27%

Cappuccino

$6.42 $6.42

$6.52 $6.52

-1.53%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.23 $3.23

-9.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$3.17 $3.17

-47.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.90 $6.90

$7.85 $7.85

-12.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.03 $8.03

-13.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.21 $1.21

-11.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$5.14 $5.14

-13.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$6.05 $6.05

-47.77%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$4.88 $4.88

3.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.35 $18.35

$19.18 $19.18

-4.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$18.91 $18.91

-44.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$23.31 $23.31

-28.23%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$5.99 $5.99

-12.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.93 $1.93

-16.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$5.25 $5.25

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$6.57 $6.57

-30.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.62 $3.62

-27.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$3.31 $3.31

-25.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.78 $2.78

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.51 $2.51

1.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 $12.09

$12.18 $12.18

-0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$14.83 $14.83

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$4.22 $4.22

-41.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$5.77 $5.77

-59.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.95 $2.95

-70.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.65 $2.65

89.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.72 $1.72

54.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.7 $51.7

$29.72 $29.72

73.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.49 $1.49

-8.72%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$35.9K $35.9K

-21.47%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

3.26%

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

$156 $156

$302 $302

-48.38%

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

$69.6 $69.6

$70.1 $70.1

-0.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.4 $95.4

$85.3 $85.3

11.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.1 $69.1

$77.8 $77.8

-11.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.06 $5.06

$34.58 $34.58

-85.37%

Cinema Ticket

$12.09 $12.09

$17.84 $17.84

-32.23%

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

$1,454 $1,454

$2,973 $2,973

-51.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.13 $45.13

$76.6 $76.6

-41.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.5 $54.5

$54.1 $54.1

0.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 $91.2

$128 $128

-28.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$164 $164

-37.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$2,445 $2,445

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,947 $1,947

-16.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,143 $3,143

$4,744 $4,744

-33.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,350 $2,350

$3,469 $3,469

-32.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,235 $3,235

$7,367 $7,367

-56.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,068 $3,068

$5,127 $5,127

-40.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,106 $5,106

$6,506 $6,506

-21.52%

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 Olympia, WA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 54.2%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 20.3% $329

Groceries & Markets

Olympia, WA

$420 14.1%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 30.1% $126

Eating Out

Olympia, WA

$378 12.7%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 5.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Olympia, WA

$321 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 42.5% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Olympia, WA

$132 4.4%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 44.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Olympia, WA

$93 3.1%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 21.7% $20

Getting Around

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 493% $107

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,718 in Olympia, WA 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.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Olympia, WA versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $420 vs $546 – making Olympia, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

Same time as Olympia, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,605

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Olympia, WA Seattle, WA 75 km

From you

Olympia, WA
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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 27% more than Olympia, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,475 per month in Olympia, WA 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 Olympia, WA, 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 $2,983 in Olympia, WA and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $1,454 per month in Olympia, WA and $2,973 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,983 in Olympia, WA and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Olympia, WA costs $2,983 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Olympia, WA. 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.