Last update: Oct 2026

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

154

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index
175

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

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SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,170

/mo nomad

Puyallup, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,665

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in SeaTac, WA costs roughly 13% less than in Puyallup, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 $25.05

$25.12 $25.12

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$80.0 $80.0

-1.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$15.06 $15.06

-18.86%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$6.67 $6.67

-14.84%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$3.15 $3.15

-0.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$3.11 $3.11

-33.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 $3.93

$8.14 $8.14

-51.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$8.17 $8.17

-26.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.11 $1.11

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.21 $4.21

$4.65 $4.65

-9.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$6.16 $6.16

-44.97%

Eggs

$7.20 $7.20

$5.50 $5.50

30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 $14.94

$18.00 $18.00

-17.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.79 $16.79

-17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$23.08 $23.08

-22.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$6.22 $6.22

-9.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.88 $1.88

-7.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$5.28 $5.28

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$6.57 $6.57

-29.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.59 $3.59

-37.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.31 $3.31

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.70 $2.70

-35.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.60 $2.60

22.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.19 $12.19

$12.32 $12.32

-1.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.20 $18.20

$17.64 $17.64

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.68 $1.68

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$4.87 $4.87

-58.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 $2.69

$4.80 $4.80

-43.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.9 $88.9

$174 $174

-48.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.52 $2.52

1.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.63 $1.63

4.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$30.06 $30.06

-1.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.35 $1.35

7.41%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$33.1K $33.1K

-13.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.6K $26.6K

1.72%

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

$232 $232

$277 $277

-16.17%

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

$63.6 $63.6

$90.3 $90.3

-29.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.6 $84.6

$85.7 $85.7

-1.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.33 $34.33

$71.4 $71.4

-51.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.73 $19.73

$20.12 $20.12

-1.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.36 $17.36

$17.65 $17.65

-1.64%

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

$2,083 $2,083

$2,781 $2,781

-25.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

1.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.65 $48.65

$61.6 $61.6

-21.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.60 $22.60

$44.99 $44.99

-49.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 $62.7

$124 $124

-49.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.68 $45.68

$162 $162

-71.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,208 $2,208

$1,845 $1,845

19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,722 $1,722

$1,796 $1,796

-4.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,873 $3,873

$2,720 $2,720

42.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$2,518 $2,518

6.57%

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)

$6,075 $6,075

$6,740 $6,740

-9.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.68

-1.95%

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

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puyallup, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

SeaTac, WA

$1.7K 54.3%

Puyallup, WA

$1.8K 49% 4.3% $73

Groceries & Markets

SeaTac, WA

$449 14.2%

Puyallup, WA

$521 14.2% 15.9% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

SeaTac, WA

$380 12%

Puyallup, WA

$453 12.4% 19.1% $73

Eating Out

SeaTac, WA

$358 11.3%

Puyallup, WA

$408 11.1% 14.1% $50

Getting Around

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5%

Puyallup, WA

$204 5.6% 84.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

SeaTac, WA

$81 2.6%

Puyallup, WA

$177 4.8% 118% $96

Sport & Entertainment

SeaTac, WA

$69 2.2%

Puyallup, WA

$107 2.9% 54.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,208 in SeaTac, WA and $1,845 in Puyallup, 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: $79 in SeaTac, WA vs $80 in Puyallup, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $521 per month, with SeaTac, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 Puyallup, WA

🕒 Local time

02:15 2:15 AM

Same time as SeaTac, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,454

42,973

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

SeaTac, WA Puyallup, WA 29 km

From you

SeaTac, WA
Puyallup, 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

SeaTac, WA vs Puyallup, 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.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in SeaTac, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

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

Childcare runs $2,083 in SeaTac, WA versus $2,781 in Puyallup, 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.