Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Olympia, WA: $2,983 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 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
144

Cost of Living Index in Olympia, WA
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Olympia, WA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Olympia, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,983

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,983 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Olympia, WA $2,983

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,154 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Olympia, WA $4,154

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,325 in Olympia, WA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Olympia, WA $5,325

Seattle, WA costs about 27% more than Olympia, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Olympia, WA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Olympia, WA by 120%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$65.0 $65.0

51.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.68 $12.68

16.64%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.42 $6.42

1.56%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.92 $2.92

10.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.68 $1.68

88.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.90 $6.90

13.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.94 $6.94

15.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.07 $1.07

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.46 $4.46

15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.16 $3.16

91.46%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.03 $5.03

-2.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$18.35 $18.35

4.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.41 $10.41

81.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.73 $16.73

39.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.24 $5.24

14.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.62 $1.62

19.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.98 $3.98

31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.57 $4.57

43.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.61 $2.61

38.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.48 $2.48

33.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.34 $2.34

18.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.56 $2.56

-1.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.09 $12.09

0.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.85 $14.85

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.45 $2.45

72.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.35 $2.35

145.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.87 $0.87

239.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$5.03 $5.03

-47.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.66 $2.66

-35.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$51.7 $51.7

-42.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.36 $1.36

9.56%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.2K $28.2K

27.34%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.15%

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

$302 $302

$156 $156

93.72%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$69.6 $69.6

0.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$95.4 $95.4

-10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$69.1 $69.1

12.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$5.06 $5.06

583.40%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.09 $12.09

47.56%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,454 $1,454

104.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$45.13 $45.13

69.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$54.5 $54.5

-0.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$91.2 $91.2

40.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$102 $102

60.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,718 $1,718

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,618 $1,618

20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,143 $3,143

50.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,350 $2,350

47.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,235 $3,235

127.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$3,068 $3,068

67.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$5,106 $5,106

27.42%

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 Olympia, WA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Olympia, WA

$1.6K 54.2% 16.9% $329

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Olympia, WA

$420 14.1% 23.1% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Olympia, WA

$321 10.8% 29.8% $136

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Olympia, WA

$378 12.7% 5.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Olympia, WA

$132 4.4% 30.7% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Olympia, WA

$22 * 0.7% 83.1% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Olympia, WA

$93 3.1% 17.9% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,718 in Olympia, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 27% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $65.0 in Olympia, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $420 – making Olympia, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Olympia, WA

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

55,605

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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From you

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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 Olympia, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 27% more than Olympia, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,475 in Olympia, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Olympia, WA, 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 $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,983 in Olympia, WA. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,454 in Olympia, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,983 in Olympia, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Olympia, WA costs $2,983 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Olympia, WA. 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.