Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lake Oswego, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR: $2,466 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Lake Oswego, OR
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Lake Oswego, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Lake Oswego, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lake Oswego, OR

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 Lake Oswego, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Lake Oswego, OR $2,466

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,653 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Lake Oswego, OR $3,653

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,840 in Lake Oswego, OR, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Lake Oswego, OR $4,840

Seattle, WA costs about 54% more than Lake Oswego, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Lake Oswego, OR sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Lake Oswego, OR by 83%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$21.65 $21.65

16.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$88.7 $88.7

14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.90 $10.90

36.24%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.79 $5.79

13.82%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.05 $3.05

5.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.02 $2.02

55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.53 $6.53

25.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.86 $5.86

37.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.03 $1.03

17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.99 $3.99

28.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$5.38 $5.38

17.10%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.35 $4.35

12.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.10 $11.10

72.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.53 $10.53

75.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$17.40 $17.40

32.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.69 $3.69

57.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.50 $1.50

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.79 $2.79

89.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.57 $2.57

152.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.13 $2.13

67.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.79 $1.79

75.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.93 $1.93

47.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.78 $1.78

35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.14 $11.14

14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$10.95 $10.95

36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.76 $1.76

136.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.61 $3.61

65.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.98 $1.98

53.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$4.51 $4.51

-43.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.74 $0.74

121.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$23.86 $23.86

23.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.25 $1.25

13.60%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$34.1K $34.1K

4.86%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$24.2K $24.2K

5.47%

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

$299 $299

$151 $151

98.61%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$46.45 $46.45

52.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$63.5 $63.5

39.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$42.10 $42.10

88.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.83 $14.83

15.44%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,352 $1,352

122.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$12.1K $12.1K

160.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$40.20 $40.20

92.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$30.33 $30.33

81.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$85.9 $85.9

46.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$83.9 $83.9

93.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,586 $1,586

55.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,313 $1,313

48.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,506 $2,506

87.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,165 $2,165

63.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,743 $2,743

167.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,429 $2,429

107.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.67

2.70%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lake Oswego, OR: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Lake Oswego, OR

$1.3K 53.3% 32.9% $643

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Lake Oswego, OR

$356 14.4% 34.3% $186

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Lake Oswego, OR

$260 10.6% 43.1% $198

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Lake Oswego, OR

$340 13.8% 16.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Lake Oswego, OR

$108 4.4% 42.9% $81

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Lake Oswego, OR

$16 * 0.7% 87.9% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lake Oswego, OR

$72 2.9% 36.9% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,586 in Lake Oswego, OR. 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $89.0 in Lake Oswego, OR. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $356 – making Lake Oswego, OR the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lake Oswego, OR

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

40,731

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Lake Oswego, OR 240 km

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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 Lake Oswego, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,698 in Lake Oswego, OR. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lake Oswego, OR, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR. That's a gap of about 54%.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,352 in Lake Oswego, OR. 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,466 in Lake Oswego, OR. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Lake Oswego, OR. 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.