King County · Washington
Cost of living in Seattle, 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
Living in Seattle, WA costs 11.1% above the national average — an all-items price level of 111.1. To match the buying power of a $100,000 national-average salary you would need about $111,133 here.
- 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. |
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.
The median household in Seattle earns $116,068. Deflated by the local price level, that is $104,441 in national-average dollars — the BEA calls this real income, and it is simply income × 100 ÷ 111.1.
More on Seattle
Same city, other datasets.
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.