Question 1

Is Long Beach or Seattle cheaper to live in?

Accepted Answer

Seattle, WA is cheaper. Estimated essentials for a single person run about $1,266/month less than in Long Beach, covering rent plus everyday costs. Typical rent is $2,903/mo in Long Beach versus $2,501/mo in Seattle.

Question 2

What salary do you need in Long Beach vs Seattle?

Accepted Answer

Living comfortably takes roughly $121,500/year before tax in Long Beach, CA and $85,000/year in Seattle, WA — a difference of about $36,500. Both figures are after state and local income taxes are accounted for.

Question 3

Is Long Beach or Seattle cheaper for a family?

Accepted Answer

Seattle, the same answer as for a single person. A four-person household runs about $11,302/month in Long Beach and $8,905/month in Seattle, with rent scaled to household size using each city's own bedroom spread.

Question 4

Should I move to Long Beach or Seattle?

Accepted Answer

It depends on what you weight. Seattle costs less month to month, but cost is one of six factors — jobs, safety, climate, housing and amenities all differ too. Compare them against your own income and priorities rather than a single ranking.

Metric	Long Beach46	Seattle60
Est. monthly cost (single)	$6,009	$4,743
Est. monthly cost (household of 4)	$11,302	$8,905
Salary for comfort	$121,500/yr	$85,000/yr
Typical rent	$2,903	$2,501
Median home value	$762,200	$912,100
Median household income	$83,969	$121,984
Unemployment	5.1%	4.5%
Housing score	5	35
Jobs score	27	36
Safety score	41	40
Climate score	100	92
Amenities score	91	90
Population	458.5K	741.4K
Summer high / winter low	82° / 46°	76° / 37°

Long Beach, CA vs Seattle, WA