Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,800 a month against $4,201 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Waltham, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

207

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
185

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

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,201

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,201 in Waltham, MA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Waltham, MA $4,201
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,499 in Waltham, MA versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Waltham, MA $6,499
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,798 in Waltham, MA versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Waltham, MA $8,798
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 11% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 211% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$25.32 $25.32

-2.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 $97.1

$101 $101

-4.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$14.85 $14.85

-18.25%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$6.59 $6.59

-18.51%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$3.22 $3.22

-11.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$3.14 $3.14

-26.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$8.18 $8.18

-39.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$8.03 $8.03

0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.21 $1.21

-10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$5.12 $5.12

-21.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.30 $6.30

-14.29%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.90 $4.90

-0.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$19.10 $19.10

-41.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$18.50 $18.50

-21.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$23.03 $23.03

-24.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$5.81 $5.81

15.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.95 $1.95

-10.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$5.29 $5.29

0.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$6.48 $6.48

-13.27%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.57 $3.57

21.01%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.15 $3.15

27.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.85 $2.85

1.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.42 $2.42

21.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 $12.70

$12.75 $12.75

-0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 $13.59

$14.99 $14.99

-9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$4.17 $4.17

-48.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$5.99 $5.99

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$110 $110

-46.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.55 $2.55

3.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.64 $1.64

3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$29.58 $29.58

-4.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.42 $1.42

-26.06%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$35.7K $35.7K

1.00%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.62%

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

$321 $321

$299 $299

7.42%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$70.8 $70.8

-21.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 $85.0

$88.3 $88.3

-3.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$245 $245

$79.5 $79.5

208.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$17.12 $17.12

-14.08%

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

$1,868 $1,868

$3,013 $3,013

-38.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$31.6K $31.6K

-4.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$77.2 $77.2

-27.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 $37.65

$55.1 $55.1

-31.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$126 $126

-35.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$163 $163

-38.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$2,464 $2,464

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,956 $1,956

25.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,393 $5,393

$4,711 $4,711

14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,550 $3,550

42.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,090 $5,090

$6,286 $6,286

-19.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.85

-3.07%

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 58.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 20.3% $497

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$462 11%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 0.8% $3.5

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$457 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 18.5% $84

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$360 8.6%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 13.4% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$275 6.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 58.6% $161

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$123 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 53.5% $66

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.7%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 89.2% $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 $2,457 in Waltham, MA and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Waltham, MA vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $542 per month, with Waltham, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

05:43 5:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

3 h behind Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

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Waltham, MA
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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

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

Seattle, WA is cheaper overall, especially in leisure. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Seattle, WA. 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: $2,457 in Waltham, MA versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $97.0 in Waltham, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $4,201 per month in Waltham, MA versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

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

Safety-wise, Waltham, MA and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Waltham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.