Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waltham, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,278 in Waltham, MA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Waltham, MA $4,278

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,563 in Waltham, MA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Waltham, MA $6,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,848 in Waltham, MA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Waltham, MA $8,848

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 12% less than in Waltham, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Waltham, MA 214% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.85 $24.85

1.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$96.5 $96.5

4.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.02 $12.02

22.80%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.17 $5.17

25.73%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.95 $2.95

8.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.20 $2.20

42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.04 $5.04

58.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.06 $8.06

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.04 $1.04

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.92 $3.92

35.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.37 $5.37

19.18%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.89 $4.89

3.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.07 $11.07

69.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$14.16 $14.16

32.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.36 $17.36

31.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.66 $6.66

-9.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.73 $1.73

12.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.48 $5.48

0.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.65 $5.65

15.40%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.52 $4.52

-22.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.02 $4.02

-18.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.98 $2.98

-6.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.30 $13.30

-6.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.60 $13.60

9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.11 $2.11

98.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.12 $4.12

40.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$58.8 $58.8

80.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.66 $2.66

-3.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 $1.72

-4.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$28.47 $28.47

5.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.05 $1.05

34.29%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

36.32%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.1K $26.1K

1.84%

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

$308 $308

$324 $324

-4.94%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$54.6 $54.6

26.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$86.2 $86.2

-0.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$252 $252

-69.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.65 $14.65

23.00%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,806 $1,806

52.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$30.3K $30.3K

1.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$56.9 $56.9

39.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$37.57 $37.57

44.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.3 $81.3

55.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$98.8 $98.8

60.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,497 $2,497

0.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,525 $2,525

-23.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,433 $5,433

-5.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$5,088 $5,088

-30.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,449 $5,449

18.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.64

3.77%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59% 30.2% $586

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6% 16.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9% 0.4% $1.6

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4% 11.7% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9% 34.5% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6% 45.7% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6% 150% $169

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,497 in Waltham, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $96 in Waltham, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $455 per month, with Waltham, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

60,636

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Waltham, MA 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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

Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,497 in Waltham, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Waltham, MA – a meal for two runs $96 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,278 in Waltham, MA – Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.