Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tacoma, WA: $3,028 a month against $3,648 in Puyallup, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Puyallup, WA
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Puyallup, WA Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Tacoma, WA
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Tacoma, WA Living Index

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Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,648

/mo nomad

Tacoma, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,028

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,648 in Puyallup, WA versus $3,028 in Tacoma, WA.

Puyallup, WA $3,648
Tacoma, WA $3,028

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,079 in Puyallup, WA versus $4,446 in Tacoma, WA.

Puyallup, WA $5,079
Tacoma, WA $4,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,511 in Puyallup, WA versus $5,864 in Tacoma, WA.

Puyallup, WA $6,511
Tacoma, WA $5,864

Living in Puyallup, WA is roughly 20% more expensive than in Tacoma, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Puyallup, WA 169% above, Tacoma, WA 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$25.33 $25.33

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$79.1 $79.1

1.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.89 $14.89

$11.88 $11.88

25.34%

Cappuccino

$6.70 $6.70

$5.70 $5.70

17.54%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$3.20 $3.20

-1.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.51 $2.51

21.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.20 $7.20

9.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.14 $7.14

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.13 $1.13

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.18 $4.18

11.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$5.73 $5.73

11.17%

Eggs

$5.43 $5.43

$5.50 $5.50

-1.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.98 $17.98

$16.48 $16.48

9.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$15.74 $15.74

5.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.08 $23.08

$23.17 $23.17

-0.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.91 $4.91

19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.77 $1.77

1.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$4.23 $4.23

21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$4.69 $4.69

37.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.77 $2.77

27.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.04 $3.04

8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.81 $1.81

45.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.24 $3.24

-23.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.37 $12.37

$12.38 $12.38

-0.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.95 $17.95

$18.57 $18.57

-3.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.78 $1.78

-1.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.84 $4.84

1.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.05 $2.05

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$173 $173

$62.7 $62.7

175.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.56 $2.56

4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.70 $1.70

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$29.63 $29.63

2.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$28.3K $28.3K

17.50%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

2.34%

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

$280 $280

$227 $227

23.50%

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

$90.6 $90.6

$93.3 $93.3

-2.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.7 $85.7

-0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.2 $72.2

$41.94 $41.94

72.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.61 $19.61

$18.59 $18.59

5.49%

Cinema Ticket

$18.33 $18.33

$14.24 $14.24

28.72%

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

$3,069 $3,069

$2,127 $2,127

44.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.1K $31.1K

$31.5K $31.5K

-1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.3 $61.3

$61.7 $61.7

-0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.23 $45.23

$43.69 $43.69

3.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$84.6 $84.6

49.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$126 $126

27.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,855 $1,855

$1,758 $1,758

5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,779 $1,779

$1,460 $1,460

21.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,775 $2,775

$2,860 $2,860

-2.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 $2,506

$2,436 $2,436

2.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,784 $4,784

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,608 $3,608

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,884 $6,884

$5,001 $5,001

37.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.64

0.60%

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

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tacoma, WA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 48.8%

Tacoma, WA

$1.5K 48.2% 17.9% $319

Groceries & Markets

Puyallup, WA

$517 14.2%

Tacoma, WA

$487 16.1% 5.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puyallup, WA

$456 12.5%

Tacoma, WA

$406 13.4% 11% $50

Eating Out

Puyallup, WA

$407 11.2%

Tacoma, WA

$380 12.5% 6.6% $27

Getting Around

Puyallup, WA

$203 5.6%

Tacoma, WA

$82 2.7% 59.7% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.9%

Tacoma, WA

$142 4.7% 19.7% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Puyallup, WA

$109 3%

Tacoma, WA

$70 2.3% 35.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,855 in Puyallup, WA and $1,758 in Tacoma, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puyallup, WA pays 38% 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: $80.0 in Puyallup, WA vs $79.0 in Tacoma, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $487 per month, with Tacoma, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 Tacoma, WA

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

Same time as Puyallup, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,973

219,346

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Puyallup, WA Tacoma, WA 13 km

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Puyallup, 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

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

Tacoma, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Puyallup, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tacoma, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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 $1,758 in Tacoma, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Dining out is cheaper in Tacoma, WA – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $80.0 in Puyallup, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tacoma, 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 Tacoma, WA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,028 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tacoma, WA hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Tacoma, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Puyallup, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.