Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puyallup, WA and SeaTac, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in SeaTac, WA: $3,170 a month against $3,665 in Puyallup, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

175

Cost of Living Index in Puyallup, WA
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Puyallup, WA Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index

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Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,665

/mo nomad

SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puyallup, WA and in SeaTac, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Puyallup, WA and in SeaTac, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,665 in Puyallup, WA versus $3,170 in SeaTac, WA.

Puyallup, WA $3,665
SeaTac, WA $3,170

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,096 in Puyallup, WA versus $4,514 in SeaTac, WA.

Puyallup, WA $5,096
SeaTac, WA $4,514

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,528 in Puyallup, WA versus $5,857 in SeaTac, WA.

Puyallup, WA $6,528
SeaTac, WA $5,857

Living in Puyallup, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puyallup, WA 169% above, SeaTac, WA 133% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.12 $25.12

$25.05 $25.05

0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$78.9 $78.9

1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$12.22 $12.22

23.24%

Cappuccino

$6.67 $6.67

$5.68 $5.68

17.43%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$3.14 $3.14

0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.08 $2.08

49.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$3.93 $3.93

107.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$6.04 $6.04

35.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.14 $1.14

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.21 $4.21

10.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.39 $3.39

81.71%

Eggs

$5.50 $5.50

$7.20 $7.20

-23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.00 $18.00

$14.94 $14.94

20.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.79 $16.79

$13.86 $13.86

21.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.08 $23.08

$17.97 $17.97

28.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$5.63 $5.63

10.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.74 $1.74

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.18 $4.18

26.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.66 $4.66

40.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.23 $2.23

60.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.93 $2.93

12.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.75 $1.75

54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.18 $3.18

-18.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.19 $12.19

1.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.64 $17.64

$18.20 $18.20

-3.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.70 $1.70

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.04 $2.04

138.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.69 $2.69

78.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$174 $174

$88.9 $88.9

96.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.56 $2.56

-1.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.70 $1.70

-4.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.06 $30.06

$29.54 $29.54

1.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.45 $1.45

-6.90%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$28.6K $28.6K

15.87%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.69%

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

$277 $277

$232 $232

19.29%

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

$90.3 $90.3

$63.6 $63.6

41.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.7 $85.7

$84.6 $84.6

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.4 $71.4

$34.33 $34.33

108.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 $20.12

$19.73 $19.73

1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$17.65 $17.65

$17.36 $17.36

1.67%

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

$2,781 $2,781

$2,083 $2,083

33.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

-1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$48.65 $48.65

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.99 $44.99

$22.60 $22.60

99.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 $124

$62.7 $62.7

97.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$45.68 $45.68

253.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,845 $1,845

$2,208 $2,208

-16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 $1,796

$1,722 $1,722

4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,720 $2,720

$3,873 $3,873

-29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,518 $2,518

$2,683 $2,683

-6.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,064 $4,064

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,821 $3,821

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,740 $6,740

$6,075 $6,075

10.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.55

1.98%

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

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 24, 2026

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 49%

SeaTac, WA

$1.7K 54.3% 4.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Puyallup, WA

$521 14.2%

SeaTac, WA

$449 14.2% 13.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puyallup, WA

$453 12.4%

SeaTac, WA

$380 12% 16% $73

Eating Out

Puyallup, WA

$408 11.1%

SeaTac, WA

$358 11.3% 12.3% $50

Getting Around

Puyallup, WA

$204 5.6%

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5% 45.8% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.8%

SeaTac, WA

$81 2.6% 54.2% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Puyallup, WA

$107 2.9%

SeaTac, WA

$69 2.2% 35.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,845 in Puyallup, WA and $2,208 in SeaTac, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80 in Puyallup, WA vs $79 in SeaTac, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $521 vs $449 per month, with SeaTac, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

Same time as Puyallup, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,973

31,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Puyallup, WA SeaTac, WA 29 km

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Puyallup, WA
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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

Puyallup, WA vs SeaTac, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

SeaTac, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Puyallup, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making SeaTac, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Puyallup, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,845 in Puyallup, WA versus $2,208 in SeaTac, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,781 in Puyallup, WA versus $2,083 in SeaTac, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in SeaTac, WA runs roughly 49% less than in Puyallup, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. SeaTac, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – SeaTac, WA wins on affordability, Puyallup, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.