Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Bethlehem, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bethlehem, PA: $2,613 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Bethlehem, PA

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 Bethlehem, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Bethlehem, PA $2,613

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,666 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Bethlehem, PA $3,666

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,718 in Bethlehem, PA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Bethlehem, PA $4,718

Seattle, WA costs about 45% more than Bethlehem, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Bethlehem, PA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Bethlehem, PA by 92%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.20 $18.20

39.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$49.94 $49.94

102.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.05 $13.05

13.10%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.05 $5.05

28.71%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.92 $2.92

9.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.89 $1.89

66.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.21 $5.21

52.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.23 $8.23

-1.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.06 $4.06

30.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.92 $3.92

63.27%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.28 $4.28

18.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.02 $12.02

55.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.27 $16.27

15.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.33 $18.33

24.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.14 $6.14

-1.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.32 $1.32

47.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.22 $4.22

30.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.16 $4.16

56.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.15 $2.15

62.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.62 $2.62

25.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.69 $2.69

4.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.89 $1.89

36.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.78 $9.78

27.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.99 $17.99

-17.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.72 $1.72

143.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$6.82 $6.82

-14.96%

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

$5.04 $5.04

-48.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.96 $2.96

-44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$34.65 $34.65

-13.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.98 $0.98

43.88%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$23.2K $23.2K

58.71%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.0K $24.0K

10.90%

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

$308 $308

$207 $207

48.33%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$39.06 $39.06

77.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$79.1 $79.1

8.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$36.66 $36.66

108.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.83 $14.83

21.51%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$985 $985

178.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$64.4K $64.4K

-52.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.0 $54.0

46.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$30.28 $30.28

79.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$65.8 $65.8

92.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$84.9 $84.9

87.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,573 $1,573

59.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,352 $1,352

43.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,184 $2,184

134.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,079 $2,079

70.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,187 $2,187

237.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,119 $2,119

136.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,649 $3,649

77.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.5

6.00%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 51.7% 30.3% $587

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.7% 20.2% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Bethlehem, PA

$326 12.5% 29.7% $137

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.8% 24.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Bethlehem, PA

$106 4.1% 44% $83

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8% 84.6% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Bethlehem, PA

$66 2.5% 41% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA. 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 77% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $50 in Bethlehem, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $437 – making Bethlehem, PA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

75,624

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Bethlehem, PA 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA – Bethlehem, PA comes out roughly 31% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,919 in Bethlehem, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bethlehem, PA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,573 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $50 in Bethlehem, PA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 25% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bethlehem, PA, where all-in costs run around $2,613, than in Seattle, WA at $3,785. In Bethlehem, PA 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 $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA to $3,785 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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