Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lexington, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lexington, MA: $2,672 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Lexington, MA
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Lexington, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Lexington, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lexington, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,672 in Lexington, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Lexington, MA $2,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,542 in Lexington, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Lexington, MA $4,542

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,412 in Lexington, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Lexington, MA $6,412

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lexington, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Lexington, MA 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.23 $20.23

21.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.1 $74.1

32.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.84 $15.84

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.89 $4.89

33.33%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.86 $2.86

12.94%

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

$6.81 $6.81

15.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.98 $7.98

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.17 $1.17

3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.93 $3.93

30.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.72 $4.72

28.18%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.18 $4.18

16.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.65 $12.65

51.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.65 $12.65

49.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.08 $17.08

36.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.32 $4.32

38.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.83 $1.83

5.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.53 $4.53

15.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.17 $5.17

27.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.39 $2.39

51.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.93 $2.93

12.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.99 $1.99

39.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.21 $2.21

13.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.55 $8.55

42.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$16.74 $16.74

-11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.82 $1.82

131.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.42 $3.42

68.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.20 $2.20

34.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.73 $2.73

-2.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.74 $1.74

-1.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$28.81 $28.81

3.16%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

29.39%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$28.1K $28.1K

-6.60%

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

$302 $302

$189 $189

59.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$59.2 $59.2

18.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.5 $70.5

20.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.12 $42.12

84.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$13.93 $13.93

28.07%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,400 $1,400

112.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.6K $23.6K

32.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$58.6 $58.6

30.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$36.47 $36.47

48.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$88.4 $88.4

45.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$111 $111

47.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,530 $1,530

59.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,380 $1,380

41.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,878 $2,878

64.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$3,564 $3,564

-2.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,775 $2,775

165.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,356 $2,356

117.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.79

1.47%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lexington, MA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Lexington, MA

$1.4K 51.6% 29.1% $567

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Lexington, MA

$413 15.4% 24.4% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Lexington, MA

$319 11.9% 30.2% $138

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Lexington, MA

$338 12.6% 15.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Lexington, MA

$133 5% 30.3% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Lexington, MA

$20 * 0.8% 84.4% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lexington, MA

$70 2.6% 38.3% $44

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 $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $74.0 in Lexington, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $413 per month, with Lexington, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Lexington, MA

🕒 Local time

06:35 6:35 AM

09:35 9:35 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

322,570

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Lexington, MA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Lexington, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Lexington, MA differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,672 including rent). Lexington, MA 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 $4,007 in Lexington, MA 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 $1,530 in Lexington, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% 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 $2,672 in Lexington, MA – a 42% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lexington, MA 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 Lexington, MA 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 Lexington, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.