Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lakewood, WA: $3,284 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Lakewood, WA
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Lakewood, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Lakewood, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,284

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Lakewood, WA $3,284

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,777 in Lakewood, WA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Lakewood, WA $4,777

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,270 in Lakewood, WA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Lakewood, WA $6,270

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Lakewood, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Lakewood, WA 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.09 $18.09

35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$67.6 $67.6

45.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.71 $12.71

16.37%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.20 $5.20

25.38%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.98 $2.98

8.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.05 $2.05

54.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.90 $3.90

101.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.10 $6.10

31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.02 $1.02

18.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.68 $3.68

39.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.24 $4.24

42.69%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.92 $3.92

24.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.72 $13.72

39.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$8.69 $8.69

117.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$11.21 $11.21

107.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.38 $4.38

36.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.94 $1.94

-0.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.16 $4.16

26.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.52 $4.52

45.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.97 $1.97

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.15 $2.15

53.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.02 $2.02

37.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.49 $2.49

0.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.36 $12.36

-1.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.84 $15.84

-6.38%

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

$4.15 $4.15

39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.04 $2.04

44.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$197 $197

-46.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.02 $2.02

31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.64 $0.64

168.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$27.31 $27.31

8.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.34 $1.34

11.19%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.1K $28.1K

27.75%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.23%

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

$302 $302

$289 $289

4.54%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$74.0 $74.0

-5.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$89.5 $89.5

-4.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$41.00 $41.00

89.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$24.97 $24.97

38.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$18.08 $18.08

-1.33%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,965 $1,965

51.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

21.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$50.1 $50.1

52.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.11 $38.11

41.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$100 $100

27.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$136 $136

20.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,961 $1,961

24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,733 $1,733

12.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,365 $3,365

40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,047 $3,047

13.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,359 $2,359

212.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,606 $2,606

96.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.81

1.17%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lakewood, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Lakewood, WA

$1.7K 52.8% 11% $214

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Lakewood, WA

$369 11.2% 32.4% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Lakewood, WA

$452 13.8% 1.1% $5

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Lakewood, WA

$297 9.1% 25.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Lakewood, WA

$146 4.5% 23.3% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Lakewood, WA

$210 6.4% 62.6% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lakewood, WA

$77 2.4% 32% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $68.0 in Lakewood, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $369 per month, with Lakewood, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lakewood, WA

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

140,024

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 Lakewood, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Lakewood, WA differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $3,284 including rent). Lakewood, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $4,926 in Lakewood, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,961 in Lakewood, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lakewood, WA – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,284 in Lakewood, WA – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lakewood, 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Lakewood, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lakewood, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.