Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lafayette, IN: $2,374 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
115

Cost of Living Index in Lafayette, IN
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Lafayette, IN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Lafayette, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,374

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,374 in Lafayette, IN.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Lafayette, IN $2,374

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,412 in Lafayette, IN.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Lafayette, IN $3,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,449 in Lafayette, IN.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Lafayette, IN $4,449

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Lafayette, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Lafayette, IN 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$16.29 $16.29

50.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.3 $75.3

30.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.41 $11.41

29.62%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.85 $4.85

34.43%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.43 $2.43

32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.21 $2.21

43.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.96 $4.96

58.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.93 $7.93

1.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.10 $1.10

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.10 $3.10

65.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.34 $5.34

13.30%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.04 $3.04

60.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$8.76 $8.76

118.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.98 $10.98

72.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$13.27 $13.27

75.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.43 $4.43

35.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.91 $1.91

1.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.06 $4.06

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.80 $4.80

36.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.79 $2.79

29.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.72 $2.72

21.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.97 $1.97

41.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.94 $1.94

29.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.12 $8.12

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.78 $12.78

16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.76 $1.76

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.37 $3.37

71.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.89 $4.89

-39.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$40.79 $40.79

160.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.27 $3.27

-18.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.44 $1.44

19.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$20.24 $20.24

46.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.87 $0.87

71.26%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$34.3K $34.3K

4.51%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.18%

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

$302 $302

$192 $192

57.33%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$68.6 $68.6

2.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$61.7 $61.7

38.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$32.71 $32.71

137.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$25.24 $25.24

37.00%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.16 $12.16

46.71%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,467 $1,467

102.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$30.9K $30.9K

1.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$49.37 $49.37

55.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.89 $39.89

35.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$93.1 $93.1

37.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$50.5 $50.5

224.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,277 $1,277

91.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,181 $1,181

64.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,108 $2,108

125.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,780 $1,780

94.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,871 $1,871

293.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,829 $1,829

180.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,294 $3,294

97.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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, IN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Lafayette, IN

$1.2K 49.8% 39.3% $765

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Lafayette, IN

$356 15% 34.7% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Lafayette, IN

$322 13.6% 29.5% $135

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Lafayette, IN

$282 11.9% 29.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Lafayette, IN

$105 4.4% 44.9% $85

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Lafayette, IN

$71 3% 45.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lafayette, IN

$57 2.4% 49.7% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,277 in Lafayette, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 98% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $75.0 in Lafayette, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $356 per month, with Lafayette, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lafayette, IN

🕒 Local time

21:49 9:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

121,324

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Lafayette, IN 2,920 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Lafayette, IN

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 Lafayette, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Lafayette, IN differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,374 including rent). Lafayette, IN is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,277 in Lafayette, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lafayette, IN – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,374 in Lafayette, IN versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lafayette, IN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Lafayette, IN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Lafayette, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.