Cost of Living in Seattle, WA | PayScale This cost is ranked NO. Sign up or log in to compare your personalized match scores. Looks for areas of Seattle, Washington where there is a large student population. There are ways to trim that down. Transform pay with our enterprise-grade comp platform, Automate compensation with our full-suite solution, Payscale's employer-reported salary data network, The world`s largest employee-submitted pay database, Annual survey salary data from HR industry publishers, The crowdsourced compensation data API for developers, 100% company submitted data from 2,000+ businesses, Schedule a personalized demo to feel the power of Payscale, Find salary information for similar job titles and locations, Comp Planning Business Case Pitch Deck By clicking Download Pitch Deck, you. Before you get the keys to your new home, you'll have to pay closing costs. Seattle vs Bay Area/San Jose - Cost of living - Blind To people who have lived in both the places : How do you compare the cost of living?Is it almost the same with rising house rental cost near Seattle?Need not be proper downtowns in either places, so the comparison can extend to like Redmond vs outer . Just like with food costs, you can curb how much you spend on entertainment by altering your behavior. Homeowners in Seattle have a median income of $111,477. Necessary expenses are living costs that cannot be avoided. Which metro area? Bay area or Seattle area? (living, best, cost) - City In California, they run almost to $4,000 annually. 2023 Compare Cities Cost of Living: Seattle, WA vs Sunnyvale, CA San Francisco, CA. The cost of living in Seattle is 6% more expensive than in Tampa.Cities ranked 64th and 95th ($2881 vs $2714) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 52nd and 78th in the United States.The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.1 months in Seattle compared to 1.8 months in Tampa. Also, inflation is inevitable. Whether youre a commuter via your own vehicle or public transportation, considering factors like the price of gas and monthly cost of taking a train or bus is crucial when budgeting for your move. Get your true budget and find a home with ease. Prices are increasing, but at a reasonable rate. NerdWallet excluded state and local tax data because tax rates vary by state and metropolitan area, and sometimes within metropolitan area as well. Food: Weekly trips to the grocery store can add up, especially if food costs are high where you live. The 28/36 rule is a common sense guideline that states you should not spend more than 28% of your monthly gross income on housingeither your mortgage payment or rentand 36% of your monthly gross income on your total debt. Plan on spending more on gas and auto expenses if you move to Seattle, Washington, resulting in a higher, In Seattle, WA, the average commute time is about 42.99 minutes. Compare Cities Atlanta housing costs are 60.7% less expensive than Seattle housing costs. Bankrates cost of living calculator can help you understand the disparities between two metro areas. What your skills are worth in the job market is constantly changing. Each person must take stock of their financial health, lifestyle requirements and future goals. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans), Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL), Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child, International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child, 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ), Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre, Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre, Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate. For example, if you live in Bakersfield, your cost of living is 4 percent higher than the national average, but if you live in San Francisco, its 91 percent higher. Your income will also become stretched with childcare costs if you plan on starting or expanding your family, so factor that into your decision-making when investigating where you can afford to live comfortably. There are tons of cities with 100K+ population throughout the Metro. Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and San Francisco, CA You would need around 8,254.35$ in San Francisco, CA to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with 6,400.00 $ in Seattle, WA (assuming you rent in both cities). Price collection by city is conducted in strict conformance with standard specifications at specified times. Amazon, To people who have lived in both the places : How do you compare the cost of living?Is it almost the same with rising house rental cost near Seattle?Need not be proper downtowns in either places, so the comparison can extend to like Redmond vs outer San Jose.#seattle #bayarea #amazon #apple #housing, Go to company page Home prices, property taxes and monthly rents vary from state to state, city to city, town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood.For homeowners, there are more expenses to consider than just the monthly mortgage payment. Cost of living indexes typically use numerical values when measuring and comparing affordability, often working with either the national average as a benchmark or a base score of 100 for a specific city. The information provided by a cost of living index can help you get a realistic snapshot of living expenses and create a budget. How to Get Preapproved for a Mortgage and Why It Matters. Discretionary spending could also include luxury goods and travel. The total income . Weekly trips to the grocery store can add up, especially if food costs are high where you live. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. Quality of life data (gyms, bars and beauty salons per 1,000 residents) were collected from the Yellow Pages. Use our tool to get a personalized report on your market worth. The rule of thumb is not to spend more than 30% of your total income on housing. To maintain your standard of living in San Francisco, Some 33% of thator approximately $1,885went toward housing costs. Air quality in SF is among the top 10 worst in the USA. Items on which the index is based have been carefully chosen to reflect the different categories of consumer expenditures., C2ER was founded in 1961, and continues to exist today as a nonprofit organization, comprising research staff of chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and agencies, and related organizations throughout the United States. C2ER has published its quarterly Cost of Living Index since 1968. A cost of living comparison can estimate how far your salary will go based on location. PayScale's Cost of Living Calculator can help you find out more about how your individual needs will factor in when beginning your research to figure out how much it would cost you to relocate. lower. But Seattle depressing clouds beat that. Chicago shows $138k vs 210k and 203k for SF and Seattle. Seattle, Washington Cost Of Living - AreaVibes If you are a renter seattle or cheaper, if you are a home owner ca is or will be cheaper. Seattle vs San Francisco: Weather, Cost of Living, Which is Better, and My point is the Bay Area feels much, much bigger and more urbanized. Cost of. Private school data was obtained from the Department of Education, and average private tuition was compiled by averaging tuition across randomly selected schools in each city. It is comprised of nearly 100,000 data points gathered primarily by C2ER members located in 400 cities.. Coming up with the cash for a down payment is the biggest roadblock for most home buyers. 2023 Compare Cities Cost of Living: Seattle, WA vs Los Angeles, CA Whether thats a mortgage or rent, a large percentage of your salary will go toward your housing expenses each month. You don't move to the bay from Seattle for an immediate raise. Unless youre lucky enough to work from home, you will need to factor in transportation costs when deciding where to live. Transportation index. 165 185 185 comments Add a Comment TheAnalogKoala 5 mo. The expenses that factor into cost of living can include housing affordability, transportation expenses, food prices and entertainment costs. Take our 3 minute quiz and match with an advisor today. Some examples include: These types of costs may not always be top of mind when putting together a monthly budget, but theyll inevitably have some impact on your cost of living, so dont forget to include them. Due to the plethora of state taxes, local taxes, jurisdictions and assessment procedures involved in the assessment of income, property and sales taxes, local tax rates cannot be accurately calculated. Costs are dropping at a rapid rate. I'm also a bay area native living in Seattle working in tech - this place has generally very good public transit, but you'll need a car to see nature, the coast, go hiking, etc. BR Tech Services, Inc. NMLS ID #1743443 | NMLS Consumer Access. from the Council for Community and Economic Research. If youre a Social Security recipient, for example, your benefit will be updated for inflation as needed, thanks to the annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). Here is a list of our partners. This index measures changes in prices for goods and services purchased by urban households. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Seattle, Washington is considered to have a very good public transport system. > If your focus is on minimizing spending seattle is better. According to the latest BLS data, consumers average over $7,000 per year on food expenses. This can vary depending on the time of day, day of week, and the weather and road conditions. Do not sell or share my personal information. Theres also maintenance, upgrades, taxes and fees to take into account when deciding where to live. Relocating to Seattle from the Bay Area - Cost Of Living Comparisons Not to mention you save thousands per year on income taxes in WA. This information can also help you determine whether or not you can afford to live in a particular location at all. You could eat out less, cut back on takeout and cook more often. 2023 Compare Cities Cost of Living: Seattle, WA vs Los Angeles, CA Change Cities Highlights Los Angeles is 5.0% more expensive than Seattle. Seattle has essentially zero (it's an overstatement but not by much) outside climbing Mid October to Mid April, which is 6 consecutive months. A shift towards, Handling involuntary termination is a likely occurrence for human resources managers and, Return better results with Payscale job search, Compare real living costs across different states, Consider potential directions your career can take, Calculate the 20-year net ROI for US-based colleges, Are you the kind of person who struggles to get a handle, Learn where the best career earners attended college, Streamlined solutions for every step of the compensation management journey, Continuously updated compensation datasets from Payscale and our partners, Flexible, customizable services and support for Payscale customers, End comp guesswork with our free job-pricing tool, From collection to validation, our data methodology delivers certainty, Meet the leaders dedicated to empowering better conversations around pay, Track and compare wage-growth by city, industry, company size, and job category, Access helpful tools and insights for career planning and salary negotiation, Explore real-world career trends and advice from the leaders in compensation, Uncover detailed salary data for specific jobs, employers, schools, and more, Take our salary survey to see what you should be earning. Home prices, property taxes and monthly rents vary from state to state, city to city, town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood.For homeowners, there are more expenses to consider than just the monthly mortgage payment. While other resources provide basic cost comparisons,NerdWallets cost of living calculatorand accompanying city life tool go one step further by offering information on schools, quality of life and demographics, giving users a one-stop shop to explore new cities. Cost of living. The cost of living in any area can vary based on factors such as your career, its average salary and the real estate market of that area. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. Seattle is still cheaper. With an estimated 730,000 residents as of 2018[update], Seattle is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local (No Discounts or Plans), Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL), Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child, International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child, 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ), Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment in City Centre, Price per Square Meter to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre, Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate. If you don't seattle is better. Increasing steadily. While other resources provide basic cost comparisons. Entertainment: A movie ticket, a pint of beer, box seats at a baseball game they can all come with a different price tag depending upon where you live. . living and what salary youll need to make in order to reach that standard. The average American household spent roughly $5,577 per month in 2021. Monthly bus pass costs were obtained from the individual websites of the public transit system for each city. These include: Housing is considered a necessity, an essential cost of living that cannot be avoided. It is the third-largest expense category for consumers, behind housing and transportation respectively. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Overall average salary. Pay increases are a top concern for 2022 to attract and retain talent, Temporary employee laws: A guide to hiring contract roles, What to include in a termination letter: Template and examples, How to Manage Your Time and Prioritize Your Workload. higher. Your use of this service is subject to our, Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course, McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal), Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat), Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car), Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car), Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment, 1 min. Transportation: Unless youre lucky enough to work from home, you will need to factor in transportation costs when deciding where to live. Consequently, comparing expenses between cities or towns offers you more clarity on your homebuying journey by helping you better target the regions where you can afford to live that also provide the standard of living you enjoy. According to the latest BLS data, consumers average over $7,000 per year on food expenses. NerdWallets cost of living calculator is powered by data from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Get matched with a top agent in your area. All Rights Reserved. Utilities tend to cost 21.92% While other resources provide basic cost comparisons,NerdWallets cost of living calculatorand accompanying city life tool go one step further by offering information on schools, quality of life and demographics, giving users a one-stop shop to explore new cities. 4. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. Not surprisingly, cost of living varies widely from place to place. Seattle vs. Bay Area - Mountain Project This information may be different than what you see when you visit a financial institution, service provider or specific products site. Home prices, property taxes and monthly rents vary from state to state, city to city, town to town and even neighborhood to neighborhood.For homeowners, there are more expenses to consider than just the monthly mortgage payment. Each of the 7 months from Oct-April has more days of rain than days without, as measured at the airport, which is drier than the crags. Cost of Living in Glendale, California: 8.97 miles: Cost of Living in Hermosa Beach, California: 20.55 miles: Cost of Living in Long Beach, California: 24.55 miles: Cost of Living in Anaheim, California: 26.50 miles: Cost of Living in Westminster, California: 31.94 miles: Cost of Living in Santa Ana, California: 33.48 miles: Cost of Living in . Here are some common categories and general estimated costs to factor in when figuring out where you can afford to live. The term discretionary spending, on the other hand, is used to describe non-essential costs. Once you understand what they cover, they'll look less overwhelming. There are ways to trim that down. Transportation costs are often the second-largest cost for most people. Demographics data (including population, age, ethnicity, education and gender breakdown) were compiled from theU.S. Census. The Seattle metropolitan area's population is 4.02 million, making it the 15th-largest in the United States. Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/11/2019). How much should you contribute to your 401(k)? Pay, Whether you are hiring a single employee , or an entire department of, The labor market is a strange place right now. Get your true budget and find a home with ease. Private school data was obtained from the Department of Education, and average private tuition was compiled by averaging tuition across randomly selected schools in each city. More traffic means more gas spent. If you find discrepancies with your credit score or information from your credit report, please contact TransUnion directly. While other resources provide basic cost comparisons. Comparisons improve with every new data that you enter. Seattle Cost of living vs Bay Area - Blind Proximity to employment is an important consideration because it can drastically impact your cost of living. In Seattle, Washington I go to a lot of Seattle Mariners games. It may be less expensive than San Francisco, but it still requires sound financial management before deciding to live there. The 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that housing expenses accounted for 26 percent of average budgets, or about $22,624 annually. Walkability and public transit scores were obtained from, Monthly bus pass costs were obtained from the individual websites of the public transit system for each city. Not only will we show you the cost of living difference, but we'll let you. To get the best possible experience please use the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to view this website. If you find that the housing costs in your destination city is much higher than where you are now, it would be a good idea to research some nearby locations to find lower rents and mortgage rates. 3. Sunnyvale is 67.2% more expensive than Seattle. There are ways to trim that down. All financial products, shopping products and services are presented without warranty. Costs of goods and services are declining. Lifestyle plays a significant role in cost of living expenses and includes the cost of items above and beyond necessities such as food and housing. However you could get a significant cut if you move to Florida instead. United States vs United States Demographics data (including population, age, ethnicity, education and gender breakdown) were compiled from theU.S. Census. Regarding how much of your income you should apply to what costs, theres a general principle known as the 50/30/20 budget rule. Your lifestyle and what you prioritize will also play into whether a particular destination is suitable for your salary and ideal cost of living. This price can vary a lot if the distance is greater and depending on how much is being moved. The cost of living in Seattle is 57% higher than the national average. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest bill consumers pay each month is for housing. Some areas have more affordability and availability of healthcare options than others, and depending on your specific needs, you may need to prioritize moving to areas with lower healthcare costs. In a couple of decades or even less than that, Seattle with its natural resources will be the place to go and it will be much more longed for than bay area ( think about global warming, drought, water shortage, wild fires, etc etc ) .. Seattle wins hands down. Cost of Living in Seattle, WA: rent, food, transport [2023] But even then, the price of groceries is going to significantly influence your cost of living. Necessary spending is the money used to cover basic or essential needs, such as housing and food. A cost that typically occurs is that your existing furniture and accessories are either too large, too small, or not appropriate for your new home. To maintain your standard of living in Seattle, WA, you'll need a household income of: The cost of living is 18% lower in Seattle, WA. Monthly bus pass costs were obtained from the individual websites of the public transit system for each city. Your use of this service is subject to our For example, the cost of an unlimited MetroCard in New York was obtained from the. Sin products are alcohol, cigarettes, and weed which wa taxes heavily. While Seattle and San Francisco are both coastal cities, they have different climates. How does income impact cost-of-living decisions? One of the most important aspects to a good quality of life is good healthcare. NerdWallets cost of living calculator is powered by data from The Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER). Depending on income level, some consumers spend significantly more than that. Walkability and public transit scores were obtained from, Monthly bus pass costs were obtained from the individual websites of the public transit system for each city. A cost of living index tracks typical living expenses over time for housing, food, healthcare, clothing, entertainment, childcare and other costs across different regions. Theres also maintenance, upgrades, taxes and fees to take into account when deciding where to live. So when deciding where to live, determine whether your income level will be able to keep pace with cost of living increases. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Cost of Living Visa zxcv7. Cost Of Living Comparison Calculator - Bankrate This expense may be a mortgage or rent, and it is typically the single biggest expense for consumers. Demographics data (including population, age, ethnicity, education and gender breakdown) were compiled from the, Quality of life data (gyms, bars and beauty salons per 1,000 residents) were collected from the Yellow Pages. Written by Mia Taylor | Edited by Troy Segal. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and, services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Comparison Highlights - Overall, San Francisco, California is 45.4% more expensive than Seattle, Washington The biggest factors in any move are the standard of To get the best mortgage loan, know how much you can afford and shop like the bargain hunter you are. Households spent an average of $10,961or $913 per monthon transportation expenses. Current cityIf you can't find a city, you can type the state name to see all cities available in that state. Mortgage preapproval is the smartest hack to homebuying and among the most misunderstood. Here's what lenders want before they'll preapprove you for a home loan. 2023 Cost of Living Calculator: City Comparison Tool - Forbes Expenses can vary dramatically from place to place, especially as inflation continues to impact the economy and housing market. Cost of living calculators are useful in comparing the expenses associated with different cities or regions. Whether thats a mortgage or rent, a large percentage of your salary will go toward your housing expenses each month. Even if your employer is covering the cost of a move, there will still be costs that are not covered. 0 difference for most companies. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. You have a good home, good neighbourhood with decent friends, cloudy skies wont be an issue at all. OK92033) Property & Casualty Licenses, NerdWallet | 55 Hawthorne St. - 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Pre-qualified offers are not binding. Overall I would not regret the move at all. Discretionary spending is influenced not only by how much disposable income one has remaining after paying for essential expenses, but also by the overall economic climate. According to MITs living wage calculator, food costs in Florida and Texas run $3,351 per year for a single adult. TOP 3 Comments. I have lived for 8 years in Bay and moved here 3 years back. For others, it involves driving your car, and that means factoring in car repairs, gas, tolls and parking. And it adds up. Total debt includes your housing debt along with all other forms of debt, such as student loans and auto loans. For others, it involves driving your car, and that means factoring in car repairs, gas, tolls and parking. Washington state income tax is 100% lower than the national average. Core cost of living data is fromThe Cost of Living Index - COLIfrom the Council for Community and Economic Research. 2023 Bankrate, LLC. Housing, food and lifestyle expenses are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the true cost of living. OK92033) Property & Casualty Licenses, NerdWallet | 55 Hawthorne St. - 11th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105, Choosing the right mortgage can help make your home buying journey easier and more affordable., Using Cost of Living to Negotiate Your Salary. Home equity line of credit (HELOC) calculator. Transportation tends to cost 11.81% If you plan to drive to work, also do some research on average traffic in your destination town or city. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Total annual household expenditures averaged $66,928 in 2021, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Design, Go to company page Are you sure you want to rest your choices? 2023 Compare Cities Cost of Living: Seattle, WA vs Atlanta, GA We use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and salary differentials of over 300+ US cities to give you a comparison of costs and salary. Other costs in the healthcare category include medical services and supplies and drugs. Proximity to employment is an important consideration because it can drastically impact your cost of living. To maintain your standard of living in Seattle, WA, you'll need a household income of: $40,827 The cost of living is 18% lower in Seattle, WA See Seattle's complete City Life page. Mortgage preapproval is the smartest hack to homebuying and among the most misunderstood. Here's what lenders want before they'll preapprove you for a home loan. Highlights. Cost of living is the amount of money you need to sustain a certain lifestyle in a given place. Goods, services and housing are all very affordable. Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. People generally feel more comfortable spending on non-essential items when broader economic conditions are positive. Seattle, Washington is one of the Worst cities in the United States for driving. Health care is also one of the most significant expenses consumers face, eating up about 8 percent of a consumers annual budget, or about $5,452. At different times of the year you can get local produce low prices at roadside stands or farmers markets. Seattle's housing expenses are 111% higher than the national average and the utility prices are 6% higher than the national average. According to data from RentCafe, the cost of living in California is 41 percent higher than the national average but this is highly dependent on where you live within The Golden State. The goal is to pay under 30%, but that may not be achievable in your destination city or town. Health related expenses are 2.0% more in Los Angeles. Datadog. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Just like with food costs, you can curb how much you spend on entertainment by altering your behavior. How much should I spend on necessities including housing? Whether youre looking for a fresh start on an opposite coast, heading to a new region for work or moving closer to family, cost of living will play a big role in how much house you can afford while maintaining your desired standard of living.