Seattle vs Spokane
Seattle, WA · Spokane, WA
Spokane is 40% cheaper than Seattle overall.
Home Price
Seattle: $780,000
Spokane: $310,000
Monthly Rent
Seattle: $1,800/mo
Spokane: $1,050/mo
COL Index
Seattle: 156
Spokane: 94
Median Income
Seattle: $102,900
Spokane: $59,200
Side-by-Side Comparison
Median Home Price
Monthly Rent (Median)
Median Household Income
Property Tax Rate
Cost of Living Index
100 = national average
Avg. Commute
Unemployment Rate
Median Age
What This Means For You
Buying Power
A $100,000 salary in Seattle has the same purchasing power as $60,256 in Spokane — based on each city's cost of living index.
Housing
Homes in Spokane cost 60% more (-$470,000 extra). Expect a larger mortgage and down payment.
Renting
Renting in Spokane saves you $750/month — $9,000 per year. Median rent: $1,800/mo in Seattle vs $1,050/mo in Spokane.
Property Taxes
On a median-priced home, Seattle owners pay roughly $7,176/year in property taxes vs $2,852/year in Spokane. Rates are comparable.
Local Earnings
Median household income is $102,900 in Seattle and $59,200 in Spokane. Spokane residents earn 42% more — but remember to factor in cost of living.
Daily Commute
Average commute is 30 minutes in Seattle vs 21 minutes in Spokane. Over a year, that's 4500 extra minutes (75 hours) of commuting in Seattle.
Salary Equivalence
To maintain the same lifestyle when moving from Seattle to Spokane, here's the salary you'd need:
| Salary in Seattle | Equivalent in Spokane | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $30,128 | -$19,872 |
| $75,000 | $45,192 | -$29,808 |
| $100,000 | $60,256 | -$39,744 |
| $150,000 | $90,385 | -$59,615 |
| $200,000 | $120,513 | -$79,487 |
* Calculated using cost of living indices (national average = 100). Does not account for state income tax differences.
Run the Numbers
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Rent vs Buy
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Cost of Living
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Affordability Calculator
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Property Tax Calculator
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Seattle vs Spokane: Common Questions
Is Seattle or Spokane cheaper to live in?
Based on cost of living indices, Spokane is cheaper overall. Seattle has a COL index of 156 while Spokane scores 94 (national average = 100).
How do home prices compare between Seattle and Spokane?
The median home price in Seattle is $780,000 vs $310,000 in Spokane — a difference of $470,000 (60%).
What salary do I need in Spokane to match my Seattle income?
Use the salary equivalence table above. For example, a $100K salary in Seattle is equivalent to $60,256 in Spokane in terms of purchasing power.
Which city has lower property taxes?
Spokane has a lower property tax rate (0.92% vs 0.92%). On a median-priced home, that means paying $2,852/year vs $7,176/year.
Cost of living data sourced from Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) Cost of Living Index, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, and Zillow Research. Tax rates from Tax Foundation and state revenue agencies. Last updated: March 2025.