Overall
111.1
Expensive
Metro cost profile · 2024 BEA RPP
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
Cost-of-living indicators for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, from Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, overall, goods, services, and rents vs the U.S. average of 100.
- 111.1
- Overall RPP
- #7
- of 387 metros
- 151.3
- Rents RPP
- $90K
- $100K national buys
Seattle ranks #7 of 387 U.S. metros by cost, and its overall price index has risen 2.0 points since 2008.
- rising since 2008
- similar cost to Urban Honolulu
The verdict
Seattle is more expensive than 98% of U.S. metros, an overall cost index of 111.1, 11.1% above the national average, led by rents at 151.3.
- top 2%
- by overall cost, nationwide
- 104.0
- goods RPP, tradable items
- 92.8
- services RPP, labor-priced
A $100,000 national salary carries the purchasing power of about $89,982 here; matching a $100K lifestyle takes roughly $111,133.
Latest BEA release change
What changed from 2023 to 2024
Seattle's overall RPP fell -1.6 points, from 112.7 in 2023 to 111.1 in 2024. The largest category movement was services, changing from 85.3 to 92.8. This is a relative change against the national benchmark, not a household's dollar bill.
RPP History (2008-2024)
The cost of living has been trending upward, increasing by 2.0 points over this period. The largest single-year move was in 2014, when the index jumped 2.3 points from the year before, a bigger swing than the full 2008-2024 change.
Seattle overall RPP, 2008-2024
Every year on record, national average = 100
| Year | Overall |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 109.1 |
| 2009 | 108.5 |
| 2010 | 106.4 |
| 2011 | 106.1 |
| 2012 | 105.3 |
| 2013 | 105.2 |
| 2014 | 107.5 |
| 2015 | 107.9 |
| 2016 | 110.2 |
| 2017 | 112.1 |
| 2018 | 110.5 |
| 2019 | 112.5 |
| 2020 | 113.0 |
| 2021 | 114.5 |
| 2022 | 114.0 |
| 2023 | 112.7 |
| 2024 | 111.1 |
Seattle vs every U.S. metro
Where this metro sits in the national cost distribution
111 Top 2% higher than 98% of 387 US metros
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities · 2024
Seattle cost breakdown
BEA RPP by category, 100 = national average
- Rents
Rents
151.3 RPP
- Services
Services
92.8 RPP
- Overall
Overall
111.1 RPP
- Goods
Goods
104 RPP
What this shows Seattle's cost structure is housing-led: rents at 151.3 depart furthest from 100, while services sits at 92.8. This is a rent-sensitive profile, not a claim that every local expense moves together.
Goods vs. housing, where Seattle's cost comes from
Metros near Seattle's overall cost, plotted by their goods price (horizontal) and housing price (vertical). Same headline RPP, very different structures.
Read the chart as text
- Seattle (Seattle, this metro): goods RPP 104, rents RPP 151.3
- Urban Honolulu: goods RPP 111.6, rents RPP 135.5
- Oxnard: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 171.1
- San Jose: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 211.9
- San Diego: goods RPP 108, rents RPP 179.3
- Santa Cruz: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 164.3
- Napa: goods RPP 105.2, rents RPP 197.4
Price Index Summary
Goods
104.0
Above avg
Services
92.8
Below avg
Rents
151.3
Expensive
Housing-led cost profile
How Seattle's cost structure works
Housing is the defining pressure in Seattle: rents index at 151.3, the furthest component above the national benchmark. The overall index of 111.1 places Seattle among the priciest quarter of U.S. metros; the rent line explains why a similar headline RPP can still require a different housing budget.
Across all reported metros, the closest component-profile matches are Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV. They resemble Seattle across goods, services, and rents together, so they are stronger structure peers than a place selected only because its overall RPP happens to be nearby.
Across 2008-2024, Seattle's overall index has risen by 2.0 points. This is a relative price-level history, not a prediction or a personal affordability recommendation; pair it with current local wages and housing options before making a decision.
Salary Equivalent
A $100,000 salary at the national average cost of living equals:
$111,133
in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA purchasing power
$50,000 nationally
$55,567
$75,000 nationally
$83,350
$125,000 nationally
$138,916
$150,000 nationally
$166,700
$200,000 nationally
$222,266
Use the salary calculator for custom amounts.
Affordability score
F
3/100
How far the median local paycheck goes here, combining income and housing cost
Purchasing power
Not reported
Housing affordability F
3rd percentile
A weighted composite (60% purchasing power, 40% housing affordability) percentile-ranked against every other tracked metro; a missing input redistributes its weight rather than deflating the score. Sources: Census ACS 5-Year 2023 (income) + BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 (cost). Vintages differ by design; see methodology.
WA-relative analysis
Goods prices places Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA near the bottom of WA's metros
Among the 11 WA metros PlainCost tracks with reported goods prices data, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA ranks #11 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide rank above: it compares Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA only against its own state's metros, not the full US field.
Goods prices
#11 of 11
0th percentile in WA
Services prices
#7 of 11
36th percentile in WA
Rent prices
#1 of 11
91st percentile in WA
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "more expensive is worse", see the national comparison above for direction context. This is a comparison within WA only, not a livability score.
Nationwide metros with similar overall cost or rent prices
Two BEA RPP-derived peer sets for Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: nearest metros by overall regional price parity and by rents RPP. These are cross-state neighborhoods, not the in-state metro list below.
Similar overall RPP
Nearest metros by overall regional price parity (111.1 here).
Similar rents RPP
Nearest metros by rents regional price parity (151.3 here).
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA Rents 151.4 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Rents 151.1 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT Metropolitan Statistical Area Rents 150.5 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ Rents 148.6 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH Rents 148.4 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL Rents 155.6 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO Rents 146.9 Salinas, CA Rents 145.7
Other WA Metros
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 105.6 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA 103.9 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 103.7 Bellingham, WA 103.3 Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA 102.4 Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA 100.3
View all WA metros → Cheapest in WA → Most expensive in WA →
Decision peers
Metros with a similar cost mix
These metros are closest to Seattle's combined goods, services, and rents profile. They may not have the same overall RPP, but their price pressures are shaped in a similar way.
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL
Goods 103.6 · Services 97.2 · Rents 155.6 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
Goods 101.0 · Services 87.9 · Rents 146.9 Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
Goods 104.8 · Services 106.7 · Rents 151.1 Boulder, CO
Goods 96.1 · Services 82.7 · Rents 157.0 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA
Goods 105.0 · Services 92.0 · Rents 129.6 Naples-Marco Island, FL
Goods 96.2 · Services 87.8 · Rents 129.4
Metros with Similar Cost of Living
These metros have an overall RPP closest to Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA's index of 111.1.
Showing the 6 closest of 387 metro areas tracked nationally.
Shareable data card
Take this cost snapshot with you
Download the data card or share this exact metro record. The card uses the same BEA-derived values shown above.
Cost of living guides →, cheapest and most-expensive metro rankings, salary negotiation with RPP data, and step-by-step comparison walkthroughs.
Compare to Other Metros
What this means for Seattle
How to read Seattle's cost of living before a move, a job offer, or a budget.
- Budget to local prices, not headline pay, a $100K national salary spends like about $89,982 in Seattle. Salary calculator
- Start with rents: it indexes at 151.3, the largest departure from the national benchmark in this metro's BEA cost mix. Compare it with the other components before treating the overall RPP as a complete household budget.
- Compare Seattle head-to-head against a specific destination before you decide. Compare metros
RPP is BEA's annual price-level benchmark for the data year shown, not a live market quote. Pair it with current local wages and housing costs before deciding.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost of living in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has a Regional Price Parity (RPP) index of 111.1, meaning it is 11.1% more expensive than the national average. Goods are indexed at 104.0, services at 92.8, and rents at 151.3. It ranks #7 out of 387 U.S. metro areas by overall cost.
What salary do I need in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA to match $100K nationally?
To maintain the same purchasing power as a $100,000 salary at the national average, you would need approximately $111,133 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA. Conversely, $100K earned in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA has the purchasing power of $89,982 at the national average.
How expensive is rent in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
Rents in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA are indexed at 151.3, which is 51.3% above the national average. This is significantly higher than typical U.S. rents.
Is Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA getting more expensive?
From 2008 to 2024, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA's overall cost index changed by +2.0 points (from 109.1 to 111.1). The cost of living has remained relatively stable.
What costs the most in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
The priciest category in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA is rents at 151.3, 51.3% above the national average. The most affordable category is services at 92.8, 7.2% below average.
What metros have a similar cost of living to Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA?
Metros with the most similar overall cost index include Urban Honolulu, Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara. These areas have RPP values within a few points of Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA's 111.1.
Data sources
- BEA Regional Price Parities (RPP), the cost-of-living indices shown on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS), gross-rent observations behind the rents component
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI), goods and services price relatives
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), labor-driven services component
- HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR), 40th-percentile rent cross-reference
Every figure on PlainCost is rendered directly from BEA Regional Price Parity source data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, our changelog, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Rankings measure the published cost-of-living index only; we don't recommend where to live or rate any metro's quality of life.