Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Bellevue, NE

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, NE: $2,275 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, NE
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Bellevue, NE Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Bellevue, NE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,275

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,275 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Bellevue, NE $2,275

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,435 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Bellevue, NE $3,435

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,596 in Bellevue, NE, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Bellevue, NE $4,596

Seattle, WA costs about 67% more than Bellevue, NE, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Bellevue, NE sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Bellevue, NE by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.19 $20.19

25.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$77.2 $77.2

31.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.08 $12.08

22.93%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.94 $5.94

10.94%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.49 $2.49

29.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.88 $1.88

67.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.08 $6.08

34.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.66 $7.66

4.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.87 $0.87

39.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.19 $3.19

60.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.46 $4.46

41.26%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.24 $4.24

15.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.38 $11.38

67.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$9.91 $9.91

86.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$15.54 $15.54

48.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.52 $4.52

28.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.55 $1.55

25.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.38 $4.38

20.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.34 $4.34

49.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.89 $1.89

88.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.95 $2.95

6.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.40 $2.40

18.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.47 $2.47

-2.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$8.05 $8.05

58.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.53 $15.53

-3.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.99 $1.99

109.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.60 $5.60

6.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.96 $1.96

55.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$78.8 $78.8

39.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.01 $3.01

-15.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.35 $1.35

21.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$25.45 $25.45

16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$34.8K $34.8K

2.76%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.79%

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

$299 $299

$202 $202

48.20%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$65.1 $65.1

8.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$72.2 $72.2

22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$42.16 $42.16

88.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$40.14 $40.14

-11.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.83 $14.83

15.44%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$971 $971

210.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$19.4K $19.4K

62.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$59.6 $59.6

29.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.97 $43.97

25.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$98.3 $98.3

27.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$123 $123

32.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,121 $1,121

119.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$909 $909

115.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,859 $1,859

153.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,567 $1,567

126.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,804 $2,804

162.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,440 $2,440

106.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,084 $5,084

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.57

4.26%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, NE: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Bellevue, NE

$909 40% 53.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Bellevue, NE

$380 16.7% 29.9% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Bellevue, NE

$339 14.9% 26% $119

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Bellevue, NE

$332 14.6% 18.7% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Bellevue, NE

$146 6.4% 22.8% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Bellevue, NE

$96 4.2% 27.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Bellevue, NE

$72 3.2% 36.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,121 in Bellevue, NE. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $77.0 in Bellevue, NE. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $380 – making Bellevue, NE the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Bellevue, NE

🕒 Local time

08:22 8:22 AM

10:22 10:22 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

151,854

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Bellevue, NE 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Bellevue, NE

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 Bellevue, NE: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $2,275 in Bellevue, NE – roughly 67% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,412 in Bellevue, NE. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bellevue, NE, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $77.0 in Bellevue, NE. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,275 in Bellevue, NE. That's a gap of about 67%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bellevue, NE, where all-in costs run around $2,275, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Bellevue, NE it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,275 in Bellevue, NE to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bellevue, NE. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.