Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lafayette, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Lafayette, CO: $2,709 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, CO
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Lafayette, CO Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Lafayette, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lafayette, CO

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 Lafayette, CO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,709 in Lafayette, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Lafayette, CO $2,709

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,773 in Lafayette, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Lafayette, CO $3,773

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,838 in Lafayette, CO, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Lafayette, CO $4,838

Seattle, WA costs about 40% more than Lafayette, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Lafayette, CO sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Lafayette, CO by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.61 $19.61

25.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$73.7 $73.7

33.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.26 $10.26

44.15%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.25 $5.25

24.19%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.70 $2.70

19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.97 $1.97

60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.15 $6.15

27.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.35 $7.35

9.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.92 $0.92

31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.99 $3.99

28.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.03 $4.03

50.12%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.25 $4.25

14.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.55 $11.55

66.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.42 $11.42

65.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.04 $18.04

29.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.86 $4.86

23.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.58 $1.58

22.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.79 $4.79

9.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.16 $5.16

27.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.46 $2.46

47.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.32 $3.32

-0.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.40 $2.40

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.08 $2.08

20.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.97 $8.97

35.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.93 $14.93

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.98 $1.98

113.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.49 $3.49

65.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.26 $2.26

30.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.01 $3.01

-11.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.57 $1.57

9.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$30.06 $30.06

-1.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

42.98%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.4K $27.4K

-4.05%

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

$302 $302

$159 $159

89.84%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.5 $59.5

17.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$67.9 $67.9

25.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.03 $41.03

89.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.89 $12.89

38.40%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,302 $1,302

128.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

27.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$57.5 $57.5

33.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$37.42 $37.42

44.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$80.6 $80.6

58.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$102 $102

61.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,455 $1,455

68.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,494 $1,494

30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,743 $2,743

72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,107 $2,107

64.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,612 $2,612

182.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,537 $2,537

102.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lafayette, CO: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Lafayette, CO

$1.5K 55.2% 23.2% $452

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Lafayette, CO

$402 14.8% 26.3% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Lafayette, CO

$286 10.6% 37.4% $171

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Lafayette, CO

$315 11.6% 21.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Lafayette, CO

$125 4.6% 34.5% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Lafayette, CO

$20 * 0.7% 84.6% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lafayette, CO

$67 2.5% 41.1% $47

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 $1,455 in Lafayette, CO. 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $74.0 in Lafayette, CO. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $402 – making Lafayette, CO the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lafayette, CO

🕒 Local time

12:19 12:19 PM

13:19 1:19 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

27,729

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Lafayette, CO 1,620 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Lafayette, CO

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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 Lafayette, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 40%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,063 in Lafayette, CO. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,709 in Lafayette, CO. That's a gap of about 40%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,302 in Lafayette, CO. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,709 in Lafayette, CO. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lafayette, CO – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Lafayette, CO. 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.