Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Airway Heights, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Airway Heights, WA: $2,531 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Airway Heights, WA
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Airway Heights, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Airway Heights, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,531

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Airway Heights, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,531 in Airway Heights, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Airway Heights, WA $2,531

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,742 in Airway Heights, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Airway Heights, WA $3,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,953 in Airway Heights, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Airway Heights, WA $4,953

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Airway Heights, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Airway Heights, WA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.26 $17.26

42.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$76.2 $76.2

28.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.78 $9.78

51.23%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.26 $4.26

53.05%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.34 $2.34

38.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.24 $2.24

41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.84 $5.84

34.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.07 $6.07

32.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.95 $0.95

27.37%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.30 $3.30

55.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.84 $4.84

25.00%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.42 $4.42

10.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$15.81 $15.81

21.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.02 $10.02

88.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.69 $16.69

39.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.99 $4.99

20.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.47 $1.47

31.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.37 $5.37

-2.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.05 $4.05

62.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.34 $2.34

54.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.82 $2.82

17.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.95 $1.95

42.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.87 $1.87

34.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.30 $10.30

18.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.93 $13.93

6.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.79 $1.79

135.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.37 $4.37

32.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.98 $1.98

48.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$58.8 $58.8

80.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.12 $5.12

-48.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.69 $1.69

1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$39.84 $39.84

-25.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.36 $1.36

9.56%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.8K $27.8K

29.20%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

7.27%

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

$302 $302

$136 $136

121.58%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$51.7 $51.7

35.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.1 $70.1

21.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.39 $40.39

92.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.48 $13.48

32.34%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,374 $1,374

116.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$14.2K $14.2K

120.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$52.8 $52.8

45.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.46 $43.46

24.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$105 $105

22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$145 $145

12.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,589 $1,589

53.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,300 $1,300

49.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,462 $2,462

92.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,156 $2,156

60.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,888 $2,888

155.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,183 $2,183

134.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,269 $4,269

52.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.84

0.73%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Airway Heights, WA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Airway Heights, WA

$1.3K 51.4% 33.2% $647

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Airway Heights, WA

$391 15.5% 28.3% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Airway Heights, WA

$258 10.2% 43.6% $199

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Airway Heights, WA

$278 11% 30.4% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Airway Heights, WA

$156 6.2% 18% $34

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Airway Heights, WA

$80 3.2% 37.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Airway Heights, WA

$67 2.7% 40.7% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 52% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $98 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Airway Heights, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $391 per month, with Airway Heights, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Airway Heights, WA

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

10,757

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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

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

Airway Heights, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Airway Heights, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% higher in Seattle, 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,589 in Airway Heights, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,374 in Airway Heights, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Airway Heights, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.