Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Puyallup, WA and in Seattle, WA: $3,648 and $3,782 a month, rent and utilities included.

176

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

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

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Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,648

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,648 in Puyallup, WA versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Puyallup, WA $3,648
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,079 in Puyallup, WA versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Puyallup, WA $5,079
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,511 in Puyallup, WA versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Puyallup, WA $6,511
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Puyallup, WA costs roughly 4% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puyallup, WA 169% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$24.52 $24.52

2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$98.2 $98.2

-18.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.89 $14.89

$14.79 $14.79

0.68%

Cappuccino

$6.70 $6.70

$6.52 $6.52

2.76%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.23 $3.23

-2.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.17 $3.17

-3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.85 $7.85

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$8.03 $8.03

1.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.21 $1.21

-4.96%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$5.14 $5.14

-9.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$6.05 $6.05

5.29%

Eggs

$5.43 $5.43

$4.88 $4.88

11.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 $17.98

$19.18 $19.18

-6.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$18.91 $18.91

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.08 $23.08

$23.31 $23.31

-0.99%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.99 $5.99

-1.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.93 $1.93

-6.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$5.25 $5.25

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$6.57 $6.57

-1.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.62 $3.62

-2.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.31 $3.31

-0.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.78 $2.78

-5.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.51 $2.51

-0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$12.18 $12.18

1.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 $17.95

$14.83 $14.83

21.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$4.22 $4.22

-58.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.77 $5.77

-14.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.95 $2.95

66.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$173 $173

$106 $106

62.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.65 $2.65

0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.72 $1.72

-3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$29.72 $29.72

2.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.49 $1.49

-11.41%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$35.9K $35.9K

-7.23%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

3.83%

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

$280 $280

$302 $302

-7.08%

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

$90.6 $90.6

$70.1 $70.1

29.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.3 $85.3

-0.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 $72.2

$77.8 $77.8

-7.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 $19.61

$34.58 $34.58

-43.29%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$17.84 $17.84

2.75%

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

$3,069 $3,069

$2,973 $2,973

3.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$31.3K $31.3K

-0.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 $61.3

$76.6 $76.6

-19.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.23 $45.23

$54.1 $54.1

-16.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$128 $128

-1.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$164 $164

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 $1,855

$2,445 $2,445

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 $1,779

$1,947 $1,947

-8.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 $2,775

$4,744 $4,744

-41.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 $2,506

$3,469 $3,469

-27.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,884 $6,884

$6,506 $6,506

5.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.89

-3.05%

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

Last update for Puyallup, 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

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 48.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 9.4% $167

Groceries & Markets

Puyallup, WA

$517 14.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 5.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puyallup, WA

$456 12.5%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 0.2% $1.1

Eating Out

Puyallup, WA

$407 11.2%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 1.7% $7

Getting Around

Puyallup, WA

$203 5.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 36.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.9%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 7.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Puyallup, WA

$109 3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 4.3% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,855 in Puyallup, WA and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Puyallup, WA vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $546 per month, with Puyallup, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:53 3:53 AM

Same time as Puyallup, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,973

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Puyallup, WA Seattle, WA 47 km

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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

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

Puyallup, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puyallup, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $1,855 in Puyallup, WA versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Puyallup, WA – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Puyallup, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puyallup, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,648 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puyallup, WA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Puyallup, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.