Cost of Living: Des Moines, WA vs Seattle, WA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $4,516/mo in Des Moines, WA versus $4,516/mo in Seattle, WA. In the model, rent is about 25.17% of gross in Des Moines, WA versus 29.11% in Seattle, WA, so Des Moines, WA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Des Moines, WA
$4,516/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Seattle, WA
$4,516/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Des Moines, WA
25.17%
COLI tier: mid-range
Rent share (1BR) in Seattle, WA
29.11%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Des Moines, WA and Seattle, WA.

At a glance

  • Cheaper overall (lower cost-of-living index): Des Moines, WA
  • Lower rent (median 1BR/2BR): Des Moines, WA
  • Lower home prices: Des Moines, WA
  • Higher median household income: Seattle, WA

Cost of Living Index

Des Moines, WA: 100 (U.S. = 100) · Seattle, WA: 152.4 (U.S. = 100)

Des Moines, WA has a lower cost-of-living index than Seattle, WA, so a given salary generally stretches further there.

Median Rent

Des Moines, WA: $1,641/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Seattle, WA: $1,898/mo

Median rent in Seattle, WA is $257/mo higher than in Des Moines, WA.

Median Home Price

Des Moines, WA: $539,800 · Seattle, WA: $912,100

Median home price in Seattle, WA is $372,300 higher than in Des Moines, WA.

Median Household Income

Des Moines, WA: $89,787 · Seattle, WA: $121,984

Seattle, WA has a higher median household income than Des Moines, WA by $32,197.

Des Moines, WA overview · Seattle, WA overview · Popular comparisons