Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Tualatin, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Tualatin, OR: $2,503 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Tualatin, OR
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Tualatin, OR Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Tualatin, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,503

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Tualatin, OR

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 Tualatin, OR actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,503 in Tualatin, OR.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Tualatin, OR $2,503

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,682 in Tualatin, OR.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Tualatin, OR $3,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,860 in Tualatin, OR.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Tualatin, OR $4,860

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 51% more expensive than in Tualatin, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Tualatin, OR 85% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.99 $17.99

36.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$74.0 $74.0

32.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.22 $11.22

31.82%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.99 $4.99

30.66%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.51 $2.51

28.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.97 $1.97

60.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.89 $5.89

33.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.02 $6.02

33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.07 $1.07

13.08%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.96 $3.96

29.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.77 $4.77

26.83%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.81 $3.81

28.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$9.94 $9.94

92.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.65 $13.65

38.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.72 $19.72

18.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.75 $3.75

59.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.69 $1.69

14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.83 $3.83

37.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.38 $3.38

94.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.13 $2.13

69.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.10 $2.10

57.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.96 $1.96

41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.84 $1.84

36.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.36 $11.36

7.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.61 $13.61

8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.78 $1.78

137.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.58 $3.58

61.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.72 $1.72

71.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.92 $4.92

-46.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.35 $1.35

27.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$23.59 $23.59

25.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.33 $1.33

12.03%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$25.2K $25.2K

42.57%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.4K $24.4K

7.35%

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

$302 $302

$151 $151

99.80%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$47.08 $47.08

48.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$63.0 $63.0

35.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$43.95 $43.95

77.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.21 $14.21

25.55%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,238 $1,238

140.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$12.2K $12.2K

157.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$57.9 $57.9

32.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.41 $44.41

21.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$99.4 $99.4

28.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$135 $135

21.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,622 $1,622

50.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,316 $1,316

47.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,504 $2,504

89.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,174 $2,174

59.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,914 $2,914

152.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,320 $2,320

121.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,975 $3,975

63.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tualatin, OR: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Tualatin, OR

$1.3K 52.6% 32.4% $631

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Tualatin, OR

$387 15.5% 29.1% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Tualatin, OR

$261 10.4% 42.9% $196

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Tualatin, OR

$297 11.9% 25.7% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Tualatin, OR

$151 6.1% 20.4% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Tualatin, OR

$19 * 0.7% 85.7% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Tualatin, OR

$72 2.9% 36.2% $41

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 $1,622 in Tualatin, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 64% 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 $74.0 in Tualatin, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $387 per month, with Tualatin, OR cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Tualatin, OR

🕒 Local time

06:58 6:58 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

28,175

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Tualatin, OR 250 km

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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 Tualatin, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tualatin, OR is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 51% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 64% 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 $1,622 in Tualatin, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,238 in Tualatin, OR. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tualatin, OR – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tualatin, OR is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Tualatin, OR is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Tualatin, OR gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.