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Cost of Living in Washington

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Find out what income you need to maintain your standard of living in a different city and how much more or less money you need to budget for basic expenses.
The cost of living in Washington is 13% higher than the national average
Cost of Living in Washington Compared to National Average
Housing (Buy and Rent) 22% higher
Utilities (Monthly) 10% lower
Food 8% higher
Healthcare 22% higher
Transportation 18% higher
Goods & Services 12% higher
Summary

The cost of living in Washington is 13% higher than the national average. Housing is 22% higher than the national average, while utilities are 10% lower. When it comes to basic necessities such as food and clothing, groceries are around 12% higher than in the rest of the country, while clothing costs 12% higher.

Healthcare services such as doctor check-ups and dentistry cost 22% higher in Washington compared to the national average. At the same time, non-necessary expenses such as entertainment and grooming services are 12% higher.

The Cost of Living in Washington Largest Cities Compared to the National Average

This is how much pricier or cheaper it is to live in Washington’s 10 largest cities compared to the national average.
The cost of living in Washington varies depending on the city you live in. The priciest city in Washington is Seattle, where the cost of living is 36% higher compared to the state average and 54% higher than in the rest of the U.S. The cheapest major city in Washington is Moses Lake, with a cost of living 15% lower below the state average and 4% lower than the national average.
City, State Compared to State Average Compared to National Average
Seattle, WA 36% higher 54% higher
Bremerton, WA 7% higher 21% higher
Mount Vernon, WA 6% higher 19% higher
Bellingham, WA 5% higher 19% higher
Olympia, WA 1% lower 12% higher
Spokane, WA 7% lower 5% higher
Wenatchee, WA 9% lower 3% higher
Kennewick, WA 9% lower 2% higher
Yakima, WA 12% lower 1% lower
Moses Lake, WA 15% lower 4% lower
What is a cost of living calculator?

The cost of living calculator tells you how much money you need to maintain your current standard of living in a different city. The cost of living comparison is based on your income and the price of basic necessities such as housing, transportation or food in the two cities you selected. Use the calculator to find out what income you will need in a new city and how much more or less you’ll need to budget for basic expenses.

Where does the data come from?

Consumer goods, services and home prices are sourced from The Cost of Living Index published by the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER).
The data on this page is updated bi-annually and it was last published in September 2022.

Average rent data is our in-house proprietary data from Yardi Matrix, where available. For the remaining locations, C2ER rent data was used. Yardi Matrix is a business development and asset management tool for brokers, sponsors, banks and equity sources underwriting investments in the multifamily, office, industrial and self-storage sectors, a division of Yardi Systems, Inc.

Household income data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent estimates.

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