Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Merrillville, IN: $2,522 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,522 in Merrillville, IN.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Merrillville, IN $2,522

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,513 in Merrillville, IN.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Merrillville, IN $3,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,505 in Merrillville, IN.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Merrillville, IN $4,505

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Merrillville, IN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Merrillville, IN 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$14.98 $14.98

68.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$55.8 $55.8

80.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.94 $9.94

48.49%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.48 $4.48

45.09%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.27 $2.27

41.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.22 $2.22

41.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.40 $4.40

81.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.96 $5.96

36.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.73 $0.73

60.27%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.19 $3.19

66.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.72 $4.72

35.59%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.72 $4.72

7.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.08 $11.08

68.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.40 $9.40

99.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$22.23 $22.23

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.78 $5.78

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.12 $1.12

74.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.39 $4.39

25.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.68 $5.68

14.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.57 $3.57

-2.24%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.34 $4.34

-24.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.44 $2.44

14.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.22 $1.22

111.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.07 $11.07

12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.88 $11.88

25.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.99 $1.99

110.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.46 $3.46

67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.75 $1.75

74.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$67.2 $67.2

57.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.91 $4.91

-47.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.81 $1.81

-9.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$50.1 $50.1

-39.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.92 $0.92

53.26%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

34.97%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.31%

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

$308 $308

$233 $233

31.82%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$50.5 $50.5

36.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$59.8 $59.8

44.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.20 $37.20

105.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.85 $14.85

21.35%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,353 $1,353

102.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.8K $23.8K

28.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$53.2 $53.2

48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.27 $40.27

34.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$109 $109

16.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$95.5 $95.5

66.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,400 $1,400

79.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,244 $1,244

55.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,523 $2,523

102.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,796 $1,796

97.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,837 $2,837

159.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,031 $2,031

146.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.53

5.51%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Merrillville, IN: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3% 35.8% $694

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5% 28.7% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6% 25.8% $119

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1% 37.2% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3% 29% $55

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5% 31.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7% 40.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $56 in Merrillville, IN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $390 per month, with Merrillville, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🕒 Local time

19:16 7:16 PM

21:16 9:16 PM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

36,444

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Merrillville, IN 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Merrillville, IN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,522 in Merrillville, IN, so Merrillville, IN is about 33% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $3,783 in Merrillville, IN 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,400 in Merrillville, IN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,353 in Merrillville, IN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Merrillville, IN but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Merrillville, 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 Merrillville, IN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.