Seattle, WA Cost of Living (2026)

Seattle has a cost of living index of 148, meaning overall expenses run about 48% above the national average. The housing index is 230. A typical one-bedroom apartment in the city rents for $2,000 to $2,600 per month, and median home prices have stayed above $750,000 for most of the past several years. The median household income is around $110,000, reflecting the concentration of tech employment at companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and their suppliers and contractors.

For someone coming from an average-cost city, a $100,000 salary is equivalent to about $68,000 worth of purchasing power in Seattle. The good news is that Washington has no state income tax, which provides a meaningful take-home pay advantage over cities in California, New York, or Oregon. A worker earning $120,000 in Seattle keeps several thousand more dollars per year than the same earner would in Portland or San Francisco at identical gross salaries.

Transportation in Seattle is moderately expensive. The city has expanded its light rail network significantly, and residents in neighborhoods along the Link Light Rail corridor can live without a car. That said, most parts of the metro area still require one, and traffic on key corridors like I-5 and I-90 is among the worst in the country during peak hours. Groceries run about 15% above the national average, and healthcare costs are also slightly elevated.

One practical cost consideration: Seattle's rental market has softened from its 2021 peak but remains tight. New apartment construction has added supply, which has moderated prices slightly in some neighborhoods, particularly those farther from downtown. Renters who are flexible on neighborhood and willing to live a few miles from the city center can find meaningfully better value than those who focus on Capitol Hill, South Lake Union, or Belltown.