Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hailey, ID

For one person, living is cheaper in Hailey, ID: $2,515 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Seattle, WA, United States
Hailey, ID, United States
Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,782
/mo nomad
Hailey, ID
🇺🇸 United States
$2,515
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Hailey, ID

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 Hailey, ID actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,515 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $3,782
  • Hailey, ID $2,515

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,707 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $5,636
  • Hailey, ID $3,707

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,898 in Hailey, ID, rent included.

  • Seattle, WA $7,489
  • Hailey, ID $4,898

Seattle, WA costs about 50% more than Hailey, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Hailey, ID sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Hailey, ID by 86%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.52 $24.52
$18.94 $18.94
29.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.2 $98.2
$69.0 $69.0
42.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.79 $14.79
$11.76 $11.76
25.77%
Cappuccino
$6.52 $6.52
$4.71 $4.71
38.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.23 $3.23
$2.72 $2.72
18.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.17 $3.17
$2.03 $2.03
56.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.85 $7.85
$5.90 $5.90
33.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.03 $8.03
$5.93 $5.93
35.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$0.99 $0.99
22.22%
White Bread (500g)
$5.14 $5.14
$3.69 $3.69
39.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.05 $6.05
$5.92 $5.92
2.20%
Eggs
$4.88 $4.88
$3.05 $3.05
60.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.18 $19.18
$15.65 $15.65
22.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.91 $18.91
$10.87 $10.87
73.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.31 $23.31
$17.04 $17.04
36.80%
Apples (1kg)
$5.99 $5.99
$4.95 $4.95
21.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.93 $1.93
$1.78 $1.78
8.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$4.07 $4.07
28.99%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.57 $6.57
$5.05 $5.05
30.10%
Potato (1kg)
$3.62 $3.62
$2.87 $2.87
26.13%
Onion (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$2.70 $2.70
22.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.30 $2.30
20.87%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.51 $2.51
$2.53 $2.53
-0.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.18 $12.18
$8.79 $8.79
38.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.83 $14.83
$15.48 $15.48
-4.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.22 $4.22
$2.13 $2.13
98.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.77 $5.77
$3.33 $3.33
73.27%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.95 $2.95
$2.08 $2.08
41.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$106 $106
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.66 $2.66
-0.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.72 $1.72
$1.52 $1.52
13.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.72 $29.72
$23.87 $23.87
24.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.16 $1.16
28.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K $35.9K
$34.1K $34.1K
5.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$26.3K $26.3K
-0.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$302 $302
$176 $176
71.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$70.1 $70.1
$57.6 $57.6
21.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$85.3 $85.3
$76.2 $76.2
11.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$77.8 $77.8
$42.18 $42.18
84.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.58 $34.58
$25.05 $25.05
38.04%
Cinema Ticket
$17.84 $17.84
$8.17 $8.17
118.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,973 $2,973
$991 $991
199.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K $31.3K
$23.8K $23.8K
31.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$76.6 $76.6
$53.4 $53.4
43.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.1 $54.1
$40.49 $40.49
33.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$128 $128
$91.0 $91.0
40.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$164 $164
$108 $108
52.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
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
$1,279 $1,279
52.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,744 $4,744
$2,506 $2,506
89.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,469 $3,469
$2,160 $2,160
60.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,367 $7,367
$2,670 $2,670
175.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,127 $5,127
$2,398 $2,398
113.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Hailey, ID
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,506 $6,506
-
-
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 19, 2026

Last update for Hailey, ID: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$1.9K
Hailey, ID
$1.3K 34.3% $668
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$546
Hailey, ID
$414 24.2% $132
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$457
Hailey, ID
$310 32.2% $147
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$400
Hailey, ID
$304 24% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$190
Hailey, ID
$132 30.9% $59
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$129
Hailey, ID
$19 * 85.6% $111
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$114
Hailey, ID
$59 48.4% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,589 in Hailey, ID. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98 in Seattle, WA versus $69 in Hailey, ID. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $414 – making Hailey, ID the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 Hailey, ID
🕒 Local time
19:39 7:39 PM
20:39 8:39 PM
1 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
8,200
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Hailey, ID 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Hailey, ID

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 Hailey, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Seattle, WA and in Hailey, ID compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,515 in Hailey, ID – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Seattle, WA compared to Hailey, ID?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,773 in Hailey, ID. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Seattle, WA and Hailey, ID?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Hailey, ID, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,589 there versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA.
Which city is more expensive overall: Seattle, WA or Hailey, ID?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,515 in Hailey, ID. That’s a gap of about 50%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Seattle, WA and Hailey, ID?
Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $991 in Hailey, ID. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hailey, ID, where all-in costs run around $2,515, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Hailey, ID it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Seattle, WA or Hailey, ID?
Families tend to lean toward Hailey, ID – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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