SailorMom Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 My difference showed it would cost about 20% less for us to live in Seattle. We live in the South, where my relatives in CA think everything is cheaper until they come visit :) We live close to the beaches and tourist areas, so everything is more than, say, 60 miles or so north of us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 (edited) Okay I re-worked it and doubled our grocery bill to take into account the eating out. It is probably a 50-50 split between the two. Here are our new numbers. These sound more accurate. If you move from Nassau County, NY to Seattle, WA.... Groceries will cost: 6%less Housing will cost: 31%less Utilities will cost: 35%less Transportation will cost: 2%more Healthcare will cost: 7%more Edited April 12, 2012 by Renthead Mommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Our groceries went from $500-589 (+13%) but some categories were cheaper in Seattle. I also wonder about some of the base figures they use for calculations. I looked at houses in the price range of what we live in here and though housing is supposed to be 44% more there, I found several that would be suitable for our family. They would be 1,000 or so square feet smaller, but still suitable. If I was willing to live out in a suburb, I could have a house similar to what we live in here. And, back to the Bethesda example given earlier (because I've lived there before)....groceries at Trader Joe's were about 30% cheaper than if I bought them at the chain grocery stores.... It's good to know that things are generally more expensive in an area, but you can always find workarounds. Seattle, I saw, had a Costco. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scrappyhappymama Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 We're in the Ft Worth area and groceries would be 21% more in Seattle. Housing would be 64% more. Yikes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amber in SJ Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I knew the COL would be higher in Seattle and (surprise!) it was. I went looking for places with a higher COL than where I live. The only places I could find were NY & HI Good thing I love it here, right? Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Groceries will cost: 2%less Housing will cost: 34%less Utilities will cost: 4%less Transportation will cost: 2%more Healthcare will cost: 2%more ... so, roughly even between Seattle and here (CA), except a big savings in housing. BTW I'm trying to interest my 11th-grade son in going to college in OR or WA, but he's not having any of it. Too much rain, he says ... :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 BTW I'm trying to interest my 11th-grade son in going to college in OR or WA, but he's not having any of it. Too much rain, he says ... :glare: It's not so much the rain as the constant dreariness. It usually is just gray, cloudy, and dim. When it rains, it's usually just a mist or sprinkle. Most people don't even bother with an umbrella. We don't get a lot of rain or heavy rain. But, that dreariness is hard to deal with. I deal with SAD every winter, all winter long. I moved here from southern California 20 years ago, and I still miss the sun and dry heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura in CA Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 It's not so much the rain as the constant dreariness. It usually is just gray, cloudy, and dim. When it rains, it's usually just a mist or sprinkle. Most people don't even bother with an umbrella. We don't get a lot of rain or heavy rain. But, that dreariness is hard to deal with. I deal with SAD every winter, all winter long. I moved here from southern California 20 years ago, and I still miss the sun and dry heat. Hmmm, that makes sense ... the dreariness, I mean. Here we get some rain, sometimes for a week even (like now), but it's something of a novelty, and it always, always gets sunny and dries out eventually, as you know. Don't have to deal with mold, either, like other places I've lived (Buffalo and New Jersey). Yes, I'm not going to push him to go to college in OR or WA, even though there are (on paper) advantages over CA schools. I heard recently that part of some college students' problems with depression can be traced to the weather (like your SAD). We still plan to visit some colleges, though -- there are some fine schools in the PNW! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I picked the closest area to our rural town (40 mi away). I spend $750/month for food, H&B items, pets, etc. It would be $915 in Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 At the risk of everyone hating me: Groceries 41% more Housing 67% more Utilities 21% less (gotta love that Texas summer) Transportation 16% more Healthcare 29% more We live in Texas too and from reading this thread I've decided we're not moving to any other part of the country any time soon! The only difference were that our utilities would still be cheaper here in Houston than Seattle. I actually love Seattle. I told dh it was the most beautiful big city I'd ever seen. I know one thing though...we will NEVER live there! Crazy expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Groceries would cost me 12% less in Seattle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MistyMountain Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 If you move from Anchorage, AK to Seattle, WA.... Groceries will cost: 19%less Housing will cost: 14%less Utilities will cost: 8%less Transportation will cost: 0%more Healthcare will cost: 15%less I put in 600 and it said it would be 537 in Seattle. I don't like living in a high cost of living area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edithcrawley Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Groceries: 18% more Housing: 59% more Utilities: 6% more Transportation: 12% more Healthcare: 33% more I live in Central IN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 I'm moving to Seattle!!! Groceries will cost: 1%more Housing will cost: 29%less Utilities will cost: 27%less Transportation will cost: 3%more Healthcare will cost: 17%more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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