Cost of Living Comparison Between Tacoma, WA and Seattle, WA 
| Indices Difference |  |
|---|---|
| Cost of Living in Seattle, WA is 17.5% higher than in Tacoma, WA (excluding rent) | |
| Cost of Living Including Rent in Seattle, WA is 19.9% higher than in Tacoma, WA | |
| Rent Prices in Seattle, WA are 24.5% higher than in Tacoma, WA | |
| Restaurant Prices in Seattle, WA are 25.7% higher than in Tacoma, WA | |
| Groceries Prices in Seattle, WA are 14.5% higher than in Tacoma, WA | |
| Local Purchasing Power in Seattle, WA is 18.6% higher than in Tacoma, WA | |
Restaurants | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant | 16.50 $ | 25.00 $ | +51.5 % |
| Meal for 2 People, Mid-range Restaurant, Three-course | 72.50 $ | 100.00 $ | +37.9 % |
| McMeal at McDonalds (or Equivalent Combo Meal) | 12.50 $ | 14.00 $ | +12.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (1 pint draught) | 6.00 $ | 7.75 $ | +29.2 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 8.00 $ | 8.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Cappuccino (regular) | 6.06 $ | 5.58 $ | -7.9 % |
| Coke/Pepsi (12 oz small bottle) | 2.92 $ | 2.99 $ | +2.5 % |
| Water (12 oz small bottle) | 2.25 $ | 2.40 $ | +6.6 % |
Markets | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Milk (regular), (1 gallon) | 4.30 $ | 4.96 $ | +15.4 % |
| Loaf of Fresh White Bread (1 lb) | 3.82 $ | 4.39 $ | +15.0 % |
| Rice (white), (1 lb) | 2.96 $ | 2.40 $ | -19.0 % |
| Eggs (regular) (12) | 4.84 $ | 6.07 $ | +25.4 % |
| Local Cheese (1 lb) | 5.23 $ | 9.59 $ | +83.4 % |
| Chicken Fillets (1 lb) | 7.34 $ | 7.51 $ | +2.3 % |
| Beef Round (1 lb) (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) | 8.70 $ | 9.31 $ | +7.1 % |
| Apples (1 lb) | 2.35 $ | 2.67 $ | +13.7 % |
| Banana (1 lb) | 0.89 $ | 1.16 $ | +30.5 % |
| Oranges (1 lb) | 2.37 $ | 2.44 $ | +3.1 % |
| Tomato (1 lb) | 2.34 $ | 2.94 $ | +25.5 % |
| Potato (1 lb) | 1.41 $ | 1.44 $ | +1.9 % |
| Onion (1 lb) | 1.27 $ | 1.63 $ | +27.9 % |
| Lettuce (1 head) | 1.97 $ | 2.81 $ | +42.5 % |
| Water (1.5 liter bottle) | 2.80 $ | 2.61 $ | -6.9 % |
| Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range) | 16.00 $ | 20.00 $ | +25.0 % |
| Domestic Beer (0.5 liter bottle) | 1.73 $ | 2.92 $ | +68.6 % |
| Imported Beer (12 oz small bottle) | 5.13 $ | 4.27 $ | -16.7 % |
| Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro) | 11.00 $ | 11.50 $ | +4.5 % |
Transportation | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| One-way Ticket (Local Transport) | 2.00 $ | 2.75 $ | +37.5 % |
| Monthly Pass (Regular Price) | 62.00 $ | 99.00 $ | +59.7 % |
| Taxi Start (Normal Tariff) | 2.60 $ | 2.65 $ | +1.9 % |
| Taxi 1 mile (Normal Tariff) | 2.70 $ | 2.70 $ | 0.0 % |
| Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff) | 30.00 $ | 30.00 $ | 0.0 % |
| Gasoline (1 gallon) | 4.46 $ | 4.51 $ | +1.1 % |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) | 36,656.56 $ | 33,000.00 $ | -10.0 % |
| Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6l 97kW Comfort (Or Equivalent New Car) | 27,297.23 $ | 26,031.68 $ | -4.6 % |
Utilities (Monthly) | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Basic (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage) for 915 sq ft Apartment | 229.80 $ | 250.22 $ | +8.9 % |
| Mobile Phone Monthly Plan with Calls and 10GB+ Data | 71.50 $ | 60.15 $ | -15.9 % |
| Internet (60 Mbps or More, Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL) | 88.00 $ | 76.11 $ | -13.5 % |
Sports And Leisure | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult | 51.67 $ | 78.35 $ | +51.6 % |
| Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour on Weekend) | 15.00 $ | 40.44 $ | +169.6 % |
| Cinema, International Release, 1 Seat | 15.50 $ | 16.00 $ | +3.2 % |
Childcare | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Preschool (or Kindergarten), Full Day, Private, Monthly for 1 Child | 2,086.81 $ | 2,200.00 $ | +5.4 % |
| International Primary School, Yearly for 1 Child | 31,687.50 $ | 29,375.00 $ | -7.3 % |
Clothing And Shoes | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| 1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar) | 60.00 $ | 67.15 $ | +11.9 % |
| 1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, H&M, ...) | 44.50 $ | 52.44 $ | +17.8 % |
| 1 Pair of Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range) | 89.83 $ | 107.26 $ | +19.4 % |
| 1 Pair of Men Leather Business Shoes | 153.50 $ | 138.76 $ | -9.6 % |
Rent Per Month | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Centre | 1,935.00 $ | 2,305.50 $ | +19.1 % |
| Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Centre | 1,760.04 $ | 1,858.62 $ | +5.6 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Centre | 3,388.89 $ | 4,655.17 $ | +37.4 % |
| Apartment (3 bedrooms) Outside of Centre | 2,775.00 $ | 3,459.85 $ | +24.7 % |
Buy Apartment Price | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre | 376.51 $ | 691.06 $ | +83.5 % |
| Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre | 361.51 $ | 501.70 $ | +38.8 % |
Salaries And Financing | Tacoma, WA Edit |
Seattle, WA Edit | |
| Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax) | 4,763.24 $ | 6,774.85 $ | +42.2 % |
| Mortgage Interest Rate in Percentages (%), Yearly, for 20 Years Fixed-Rate | 6.51 | 6.44 | -1.1 % |
| Last update: | April 2025 | May 2025 | |
| Contributors in the past 12 months: | 21 | 225 |
Moving to Tacoma, WA? Explore:
Moving to Seattle, WA? Explore:
Cities near Tacoma, WA: | Cost of Living in University Place, Washington | 5.99 miles |
| Cost of Living in Lakewood, Washington | 9.16 miles |
| Cost of Living in Puyallup, Washington | 10.29 miles |
| Cost of Living in Gig Harbor, Washington | 11.74 miles |
| Cost of Living in Auburn, Washington | 14.30 miles |
| Cost of Living in Algona, Washington | 14.66 miles |
| Cost of Living in DuPont, Washington | 18.35 miles |
| Cost of Living in Kent, Washington | 19.65 miles |
| Cost of Living in SeaTac, Washington | 22.24 miles |
| Cost of Living in Tukwila, Washington | 23.05 miles |
Cities near Seattle, WA: | Cost of Living in Tacoma, Washington | 35.67 miles |
| Cost of Living in Olympia, Washington | 63.39 miles |
| Cost of Living in Bremerton, Washington | 66.37 miles |
| Cost of Living in Vancouver, Washington | 166.62 miles |
| Cost of Living in Portland, Oregon | 176.13 miles |