Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lewiston, ID: $2,119 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Lewiston, ID
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Lewiston, ID Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Lewiston, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,119

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,119 in Lewiston, ID.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Lewiston, ID $2,119

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,195 in Lewiston, ID.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Lewiston, ID $3,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,270 in Lewiston, ID.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Lewiston, ID $4,270

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 78% more expensive than in Lewiston, ID, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Lewiston, ID 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.87 $19.87

23.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$58.6 $58.6

67.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.09 $13.09

12.99%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.98 $5.98

9.03%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.95 $2.95

9.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.20 $2.20

44.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.91 $5.91

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.91 $6.91

16.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.08 $1.08

12.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.45 $3.45

48.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.22 $4.22

43.36%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.22 $4.22

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.79 $12.79

49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.61 $10.61

78.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.82 $16.82

38.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.34 $4.34

38.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.63 $1.63

18.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.30 $4.30

22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.77 $4.77

37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.88 $2.88

25.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.17 $3.17

4.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.17 $2.17

28.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.29 $2.29

9.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.34 $9.34

30.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$16.82 $16.82

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.14 $2.14

97.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.35 $3.35

72.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.24 $2.24

31.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.03 $3.03

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.67 $1.67

2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$27.90 $27.90

6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.91 $0.91

63.74%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.8K $25.8K

39.11%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$23.8K $23.8K

10.13%

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

$302 $302

$219 $219

37.65%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$66.9 $66.9

4.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.1 $70.1

21.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$37.90 $37.90

105.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.27 $13.27

34.44%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,455 $1,455

104.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.4K $24.4K

28.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$59.1 $59.1

29.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$35.32 $35.32

53.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$96.3 $96.3

33.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$127 $127

29.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,036 $1,036

135.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$805 $805

141.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,738 $1,738

173.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,488 $1,488

133.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,907 $2,907

153.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,348 $2,348

118.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,623 $2,623

148.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

7.54

-8.62%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lewiston, ID: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Lewiston, ID

$805 38% 58.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Lewiston, ID

$396 18.7% 27.5% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Lewiston, ID

$356 16.8% 22.1% $101

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Lewiston, ID

$334 15.8% 16.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Lewiston, ID

$143 6.8% 24.9% $47

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Lewiston, ID

$20 * 1% 84.3% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lewiston, ID

$64 3% 43.2% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,036 in Lewiston, ID. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 148% 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 $59.0 in Lewiston, ID for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $396 per month, with Lewiston, ID cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lewiston, ID

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

36,226

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Lewiston, ID 420 km

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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 Lewiston, ID: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Lewiston, ID differ by about 78% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,119 including rent). Lewiston, ID is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 148% 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 $1,036 in Lewiston, ID. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,119 in Lewiston, ID – a 78% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,119 in Lewiston, ID versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lewiston, ID but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Lewiston, ID 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 Lewiston, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.