Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bellevue, WA: $3,763 a month against $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waltham, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
Learn more

Waltham, MA Living Index
181

Cost of Living Index in Bellevue, WA
Learn more

Bellevue, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Bellevue, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,763

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Waltham, MA and in Bellevue, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Waltham, MA and in Bellevue, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,278 in Waltham, MA versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA.

Waltham, MA $4,278
Bellevue, WA $3,763

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,563 in Waltham, MA versus $5,702 in Bellevue, WA.

Waltham, MA $6,563
Bellevue, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,848 in Waltham, MA versus $7,641 in Bellevue, WA.

Waltham, MA $8,848
Bellevue, WA $7,641

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 14% more expensive than in Bellevue, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 214% above, Bellevue, WA 177% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.85 $24.85

$25.38 $25.38

-2.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$101 $101

-4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$13.03 $13.03

-7.75%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$5.80 $5.80

-10.86%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$3.15 $3.15

-6.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.51 $2.51

-12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$7.91 $7.91

-36.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$7.94 $7.94

1.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.10 $1.10

-5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.65 $4.65

-15.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$6.05 $6.05

-11.24%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.54 $5.54

-11.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$15.96 $15.96

-30.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$16.26 $16.26

-12.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$22.78 $22.78

-23.79%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$5.61 $5.61

18.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.87 $1.87

-7.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$5.54 $5.54

-1.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.52 $4.52

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.77 $2.77

63.18%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.32 $3.32

21.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.99 $1.99

49.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.48 $2.48

18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.30 $13.30

$12.41 $12.41

7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 $13.60

$18.19 $18.19

-25.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.12 $2.12

-0.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.75 $4.75

-13.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$110 $110

-46.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.64 $2.64

0.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.70 $1.70

1.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.47 $28.47

$30.09 $30.09

-5.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.41 $1.41

-25.53%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$28.6K $28.6K

-5.60%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.89%

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

$324 $324

$227 $227

42.26%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$54.2 $54.2

0.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$64.8 $64.8

33.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$252 $252

$186 $186

35.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.31 $39.31

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 $14.65

$18.28 $18.28

-19.86%

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

$1,806 $1,806

$1,980 $1,980

-8.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$31.9K $31.9K

-5.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$62.1 $62.1

-8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$44.06 $44.06

-14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$99.2 $99.2

-18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$125 $125

-21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 $2,497

$2,940 $2,940

-15.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,028 $2,028

24.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,433 $5,433

$6,554 $6,554

-17.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 $5,088

$3,722 $3,722

36.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,947 $7,947

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,385 $5,385

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,449 $5,449

$8,751 $8,751

-37.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bellevue, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59%

Bellevue, WA

$2K 53.9% 19.7% $497

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9%

Bellevue, WA

$346 9.2% 25.4% $118

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6%

Bellevue, WA

$494 13.1% 8.6% $39

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4%

Bellevue, WA

$390 10.4% 8.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6%

Bellevue, WA

$222 5.9% 21% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9%

Bellevue, WA

$149 4% 20.4% $25

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6%

Bellevue, WA

$133 3.6% 90.5% $63

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 $2,497 in Waltham, MA and $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bellevue, WA pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96 in Waltham, MA vs $101 in Bellevue, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 vs $494 per month, with Waltham, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 Bellevue, WA

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

04:14 4:14 AM

3 h behind Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

151,854

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Waltham, MA Bellevue, WA 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Waltham, MA
Bellevue, WA

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

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

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

On paper, salaries run 38% lower in Waltham, MA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,497 in Waltham, MA versus $2,940 in Bellevue, WA. 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 Bellevue, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,278 per month in Waltham, MA versus $3,763 in Bellevue, WA – Bellevue, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Bellevue, 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.

Safety-wise, Waltham, MA and Bellevue, WA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.