Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bothell, WA: $3,183 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
154

Cost of Living Index in Bothell, WA
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Bothell, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Bothell, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,183 in Bothell, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Bothell, WA $3,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,942 in Bothell, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Bothell, WA $4,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,700 in Bothell, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Bothell, WA $6,700

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 19% more expensive than in Bothell, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Bothell, WA 134% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.19 $25.19

0.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$92.6 $92.6

8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.97 $14.97

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.58 $6.58

-1.22%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.08 $3.08

4.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.61 $2.61

20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.99 $7.99

-0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.18 $8.18

-0.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.16 $1.16

0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.13 $4.13

28.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.73 $5.73

11.69%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.65 $5.65

-10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.99 $15.99

17.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$15.91 $15.91

17.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.83 $22.83

0.22%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.16 $5.16

17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.87 $1.87

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.30 $5.30

3.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.44 $5.44

19.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.55 $3.55

-1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.99 $2.99

10.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.26 $2.26

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.19 $12.19

2.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.89 $14.89

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.61 $2.61

60.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.89 $4.89

18.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.97 $2.97

2.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$101 $101

5.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 $2.61

-1.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.71 $1.71

-4.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.52 $30.52

-1.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.39 $1.39

1.44%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.2K $30.2K

21.95%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

-2.17%

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

$308 $308

$233 $233

31.81%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$48.56 $48.56

42.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$78.6 $78.6

9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$58.2 $58.2

31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$11.99 $11.99

196.08%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.90 $14.90

20.94%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,068 $2,068

32.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$31.0K $31.0K

-1.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$61.4 $61.4

28.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$45.12 $45.12

20.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$115 $115

9.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$163 $163

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,923 $1,923

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,541 $1,541

25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,463 $3,463

47.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,052 $3,052

16.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,922 $5,922

24.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,920 $4,920

1.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,220 $6,220

4.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bothell, WA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Bothell, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 20.5% $397

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Bothell, WA

$492 15.5% 10% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Bothell, WA

$361 11.3% 22.1% $102

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Bothell, WA

$404 12.7% 0.4% $1.8

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Bothell, WA

$173 5.4% 8.3% $16

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Bothell, WA

$124 3.9% 4% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Bothell, WA

$88 2.8% 21.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 4% 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 $93 in Bothell, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $492 per month, with Bothell, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Bothell, WA

🕒 Local time

09:47 9:47 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

48,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bothell, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Bothell, WA differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($3,785 vs $3,183 including rent). Bothell, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% 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 $1,923 in Bothell, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bothell, WA – a meal for two runs $93 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Bothell, 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 Bothell, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.