King County · Washington
Seattle cost of living (WA)
Price levels published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, with the national average set to 100 — so 108 means things cost 8% more here than the US average.
Quick answer
Seattle costs 11.1% above the national average — all-items price level 111.1, rank 11 of 94 covered metros. A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $111,133 here. Housing is the reason, at 151.3.
- All items
- 111.1US average = 100
- Housing
- 151.351.3% above the national average
- Goods
- 104.04.0% above the national average
- Other services
- 106.86.8% above the national average
Price level by component
Where the difference actually comes from.
| Component | Index | vs US | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goods | 104.0 | +4.0% | Groceries, fuel, clothing, durable purchases. |
| Housing | 151.3 | +51.3% | Rents and imputed rents — the biggest single swing factor. |
| Utilities | 92.8 | -7.2% | Electricity, gas, water and other household energy. |
| Other services | 106.8 | +6.8% | Healthcare, dining, repairs, personal services. |
Reading the Seattle price level
What the 111.1 figure actually means for a household here.
Seattle prices sit 11.1% above the US average — an all-items parity of 111.1, rank 11 of 94 covered metros. That is expensive. The median covered metro reads 100.8.
Housing drives it: 151.3, 51.3% above average. Utilities pull the other way at 92.8. The spread between the cheapest and dearest component is 58.5 points, so the headline number hides real variation — a renter and an owner in Seattle do not face the same cost gap versus the rest of the country.
A $100,000 national-average salary needs to be $111,133 here to buy the same basket. Run it the other way: the $116,068 median household income in Seattle is worth $104,441 in national-average dollars, 33.0% above the $78,538 US median. Local pay more than covers the local price level.
Parities are published for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA as a whole. Neighbourhood prices inside that metro diverge widely, and BEA revises the series annually.
What your salary is worth in Seattle, WA
Enter a salary. We deflate it by the local price level (111.1 where 100 is the US average) and show what you would need to earn here to match the same pay somewhere average.
- Real value here
- $104,441
- Needed to match US average
- $128,990
- Monthly difference
- $1,077
What a local paycheck is really worth
Nominal pay is only half the story.
$116,068 median household income in Seattle is worth $104,441 in national-average dollars. BEA calls that real income: income × 100 ÷ 111.1.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this area.
- Is Seattle expensive?
- Yes — 11.1% above the US average, rank 11 of 94 covered metros. housing is the component furthest from average at 151.3.
- What salary do you need to live in Seattle, WA?
- $111,133 to match a $100,000 national-average salary. The local median household earns $116,068, worth $104,441 after adjusting for the 111.1 price level.
- Why is the cost of living high in Seattle?
- Housing at 151.3 versus utilities at 92.8. A 58.5-point spread between components means one category, not general inflation, sets the headline figure.
More Seattle data
Other Seattle datasets on this site.
- Seattle population and income
- Seattle sales tax rate
- Seattle property tax
- Seattle home values and rent
- Seattle crime rates
- Seattle public schools
- Seattle weather normals
- Seattle commute times
- Seattle jobs and wages
Statewide: Washington cities · Washington ZIP codes · Washington sales tax · Washington counties
2024 BEA Regional Price Parities, published for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Parities are metro-wide, so a single neighbourhood can sit well above or below these figures.