Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Arlington, WA: $2,779 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
135

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, WA
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Arlington, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Arlington, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,779 in Arlington, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Arlington, WA $2,779

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,295 in Arlington, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Arlington, WA $4,295

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,810 in Arlington, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Arlington, WA $5,810

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 36% more expensive than in Arlington, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Arlington, WA 104% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.91 $24.91

1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.4 $98.4

2.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.96 $13.96

5.73%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.90 $5.90

10.17%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.95 $2.95

8.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.04 $3.04

3.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.92 $6.92

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.94 $6.94

17.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.70 $3.70

43.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.16 $4.16

53.85%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.97 $3.97

27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.96 $13.96

34.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.96 $12.96

44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.69 $22.69

0.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.07 $5.07

19.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.85 $1.85

5.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.19 $4.19

31.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.72 $4.72

38.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.01 $2.01

73.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.40 $2.40

37.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.68 $2.68

4.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.39 $2.39

7.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.08 $12.08

3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.15 $15.15

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.06 $2.06

103.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.36 $4.36

33.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.63 $2.63

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.65 $1.65

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.89 $29.89

0.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.30%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.45%

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

$308 $308

$294 $294

4.47%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$67.9 $67.9

1.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$86.9 $86.9

-1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$32.47 $32.47

135.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.68 $17.68

1.92%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,749 $2,749

-0.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.3K $31.3K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.3 $50.3

57.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$55.7 $55.7

-2.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

24.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$135 $135

17.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,519 $1,519

65.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,281 $1,281

51.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,805 $2,805

82.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,531 $2,531

39.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,787 $5,787

11.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Arlington, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Arlington, WA

$1.3K 46.1% 33.9% $657

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Arlington, WA

$431 15.5% 21.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Arlington, WA

$449 16.2% 2.9% $14

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Arlington, WA

$384 13.8% 5.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Arlington, WA

$155 5.6% 18.1% $34

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Arlington, WA

$11 * 0.4% 91.5% $118

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Arlington, WA

$68 2.4% 39.7% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,519 in Arlington, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 12% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $98 in Arlington, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $431 per month, with Arlington, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Arlington, WA

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

365,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Arlington, WA 68 km

From you

Seattle, 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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,779 in Arlington, WA, so Arlington, WA is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,519 in Arlington, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,779 in Arlington, WA – Arlington, WA is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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