Cost of Living in Bellingham, WA, United States

Updated On June 20, 2023

How Much Does It Cost to Live In Bellingham, WA?

If the United States is your dream country and you cannot decide which state to settle in, getting acquainted with the data related to housing, transportation, and other major costs might be of great help in determining what the right choice is for you.

You should bear in mind that all these expenses differ from person to person and it cannot be exactly determined how they might affect your wallet.

Nevertheless, this knowledge would be useful for your own budget plan.

Cost of Living Index:
72.4
* Based on Research & User Data
Restaurants

RESTAURANTS

If we speak about restaurant prices, knowing them can help you determine whether it is necessary to change your habits of eating out, meaning increasing or decreasing your visits to restaurants.

These costs impact the spending for an individual or a family, but generally speaking, meals are not too pricey in Bellingham.

Markets

MARKETS

The ability to afford food is of the utmost importance wherever in the world you are, and having enough for it is the key indicator of how much money you will have to put aside for other costs.

Paying for this important resource in Bellingham would be your highest expense.

Transportation

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation represents the expense that applies to everyone and how much you will spend on it depends on your wishes.

Those who drive would definitely spend a fortune compared to those who make use of the public transport system which is inexpensive and even considered a bargain.

Utilities

UTILITIES (MONTHLY)

Utilities are not included in the rent and they contribute to the cost of living in a state, meaning that you need to devote an additional $200 for these expenses.

The cost of your utilities may fluctuate based on weather conditions and the climate here is not so great, causing high electricity and heating bills.

Sports and leisure

SPORTS & LEISURE

While food and rent are the expenses that apply to every person, there may be other factors that could contribute to your particular cost of living situation which not all people do.

This refers to sports and entertainment, which is not too expensive here, except for the tennis court rent which is quite pricey.

Clothing and shoes

CLOTHING & SHOES

Due to the fact that not everyone has the same spending habits when it comes to apparel, those who like designer clothes would have to devote a higher amount of money than those who are satisfied with low-cost items.

This should be significant and considered especially if you have young children.

Rent per month

RENT PER MONTH

Newcomers to Bellingham will face not-so-affordable prices in the homebuying market, so the majority would decide to rent.

You can always choose an apartment away from the city center so as to save on rent, but here in Bellingham, the difference in prices is negligible.

Cost of Living Averages Table for Bellingham, WA

*Note: All prices are indicated in USD.
Average Restaurant Prices
Meal (Inexpensive Restaurant)$20.00
Domestic Beer (0.5 Liter)$7.50
Water (0.33 Liter)$1.94
Average Market Prices
Milk (1 Liter)$1.39
Loaf Bread (500g)$6.34
Eggs (12)$4.50
Average Transport Prices
One Way Ticket$1.50
Monthly Pass$29.00
Gasoline$1.17
Average Utilities Prices
Basic (Water, Electricity, Garbage, Heating, Cooling)$215.72
1 min. of Prepaid Mobile Tariff Local$0.10
Internet (Unlimited Data, Cable/ADSL)$68.57
Average Leisure Prices
Fitness Club, Monthly Fee for 1 Adult$48.50
Tennis Court Rent (1 Hour)$38.5
Cinema, 1 Seat, International Release$15.00
Average Clothing Prices
1 Pair of Jeans (Levis 501 Or Comparable)$66.67
1 Summer Dress in a Chain Store (Zara, etc...)$40.00
1 Pair of Adidas Walking Shoes (Mid-Range)$96.00
Average Rent Prices
Apartment (1 bedroom) in City Center$1533.33
Apartment (1 bedroom) Outside of Center$1137.50
Apartment (3 bedrooms) in City Center$2862.50

How Does the Average Person Spend Their Money in Bellingham, WA?

It is difficult to determine the cost of the basic necessities required for an individual to live as it depends on one’s preferences and spending habits.

But one thing is certain, following the habits of the average resident would save you a lot of money wherever in the world you are.

Food would be the greatest expense and wise people would know how to save on this, by buying food at the market.

Due to the cold temperatures and strong winds, your energy costs would be higher here than in states with milder climates, so you should expect to pay more during the winter months.

Average Costs Breakdown

13.6%
34.6%
7.1%
6.1%
6.2%
1.9%
30.6%

Bellingham, WA: Average Salary, Minimum Wage & Mortgages

While other cities offer pretty high salaries, Bellingham cannot boast high incomes.

The wages are around the national average and the prices are designed accordingly.

Rents are neither too high, nor too low, meaning that they are considered affordable to those earning the average salaries, but people with the minimum wages would have to struggle to provide for all the basic expenses.

Make sure to organize your budget well before coming here and determine what are the essentials that have to be paid monthly.

Average Salary$3574.00
Minimum Wage$1256.7
Mortgage Interest Rate6.70%

Cost of Living by City in Bellingham, WA

CityCost of Living Index
Albany, NY72.4
Albuquerque, NM72.4
Anchorage, AK72.4
Ann Arbor, MI72.4
Arlington, TX72.4
Asheville, NC72.4
Atlanta, GA72.4
Austin, TX72.4
Bakersfield, CA72.4
Baltimore, MD72.4
Bellevue, WA72.4
Berkeley, CA72.4
Birmingham, AL72.4
Boise, ID72.4
Boston, MA72.4
Boulder, CO72.4
Brooklyn, NY72.4
Buffalo, NY72.4
Burlington, VT72.4
Charleston, SC72.4
Charlotte, NC73.33
Chattanooga, TN72.4
Chicago, IL72.4
Cincinnati, OH72.4
Cleveland, OH72.4
Columbia, SC72.4
Columbus, OH72.4
Dallas, TX72.4
Dayton, OH72.4
Denver, CO72.4
Des Moines, IA72.4
Detroit, MI72.4
El Paso, TX72.4
Eugene, OR72.4
Everett, WA72.4
Fayetteville, AR72.4
Fort Myers, FL72.4
Fort Wayne, IN72.4
Fort Worth, TX72.4
Fresno, CA74.2
Gainesville, FL74.2
Grand Rapids, MI74.2
Greensboro, NC74.2
Hartford, CT74.2
Honolulu, HI74.2
Houston, TX74.2
Huntsville, AL74.2
Indianapolis, IN74.2
Irvine, CA74.2
Jacksonville, FL74.2
Jersey City, NJ74.2
Kansas City, MO74.2
Knoxville, TN74.2
Las Vegas, NV74.2
Lexington, KY74.2
Little Rock, AR74.2
Long Beach, CA74.2
Los Angeles, CA74.2
Louisville, KY74.2
Lubbock, TX74.2
Madison, WI74.2
Memphis, TN74.2
Miami, FL74.2
Milwaukee, WI74.2
Minneapolis, MN74.2
Nashville, TN74.2
New Orleans, LA74.2
New York, NY74.2
Oakland, CA74.2
Oklahoma City, OK74.2
Olympia, WA74.2
Orlando, FL74.2
Peoria, IL72.4
Philadelphia, PA72.4
Phoenix, AZ72.4
Pittsburgh, PA72.4
Portland, ME72.4
Portland, OR72.4
Raleigh, NC72.4
Reno, NV72.4
Richmond, VA74.2
Rochester, NY74.2
Sacramento, CA74.2
Saint Louis, MO74.2
Saint Paul, MN74.2
Saint Petersburg, FL74.2
Salem, OR74.2
Salt Lake City, UT74.2
San Antonio, TX74.2
San Diego, CA74.2
San Francisco, CA74.2
San Jose, CA74.2
Santa Barbara, CA74.2
Santa Rosa, CA74.2
Seattle, WA74.2
Spokane, WA74.2
Springfield, MO74.2
Syracuse, NY74.2
Tacoma, WA74.2
Tallahassee, FL74.2
Tampa, FL74.2
Toledo, OH74.2
Tucson, AZ74.2
Tulsa, OK74.2
Vancouver, WA74.2
Virginia Beach, VA74.2
Washington, DC74.2
West Palm Beach, FL74.2
Wichita, KS74.2

Where to Next?

See these related locations:

Or, browse the country/city indexes:

Cost of Living - Country Index Cost of Living - City Index

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