Cost of Living: Irvine, CA vs Seattle, WA

Quick rent-and-take-home comparison

Using a baseline of $70,000/yr gross, take-home is about $3,974/mo in Irvine, CA versus $4,516/mo in Seattle, WA. In the model, rent is about 42.15% of gross in Irvine, CA versus 29.11% in Seattle, WA, so Seattle, WA tends to feel more affordable for rent.

Take-home in Irvine, CA
$3,974/mo
Income level: below
Take-home in Seattle, WA
$4,516/mo
Income level: below
Rent share (1BR) in Irvine, CA
42.15%
COLI tier: very high-cost
Rent share (1BR) in Seattle, WA
29.11%
COLI tier: very high-cost

Compare cost of living, rent, housing prices, and salary affordability between Irvine, CA and Seattle, WA.

At a glance

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

Cost of Living Index

Irvine, CA: 158.4 (U.S. = 100) · Seattle, WA: 152.4 (U.S. = 100)

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

Median Rent

Irvine, CA: $2,749/mo (midpoint of 1BR/2BR) · Seattle, WA: $1,898/mo

Median rent in Irvine, CA is $851/mo higher than in Seattle, WA.

Median Home Price

Irvine, CA: $1,115,400 · Seattle, WA: $912,100

Median home price in Irvine, CA is $203,300 higher than in Seattle, WA.

Median Household Income

Irvine, CA: $129,647 · Seattle, WA: $121,984

Irvine, CA has a higher median household income than Seattle, WA by $7,663.

Irvine, CA overview · Seattle, WA overview · Popular comparisons