✦ Compare
Seattle vs
Detroit
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
To keep the same standard of living in Detroit, MI, you'd need
$56,212 / year
Detroit, MI is 25% cheaper overall
Category breakdown (Detroit, MI vs Seattle, WA)
- Housing-47%
- Food & groceries-14%
- Transport-10%
- Utilities+6%
- Healthcare-14%
- Goods & services-14%
▤ Full comparison
| Seattle, WA | Detroit, MI | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 128 | 96 |
| Housing | 165 | 88 |
| Food | 112 | 96 |
| Transport | 116 | 104 |
| Utilities | 96 | 102 |
| Healthcare | 116 | 100 |
| Goods & services | 114 | 98 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $2,100/mo | $1,150/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $1,650/mo | $900/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $4,200/mo | $2,000/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $9,500 | $2,200 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $781 | $1,043 |
| Inexpensive meal | $20 | $16 |
| Monthly transit pass | $99 | $70 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 37% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 0% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | 7.7% | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 20% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $4,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,257/mo | $1,257/mo |
| GDP per capita | $82,000 | $82,000 |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | No | No |
| English proficiency | Native | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 70 | 25 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Safety index | 52 | 40 |
| Healthcare index | 80 | 76 |
| Pollution index | 30 | 50 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 180 Mbps |
| Walkability | 74 | 55 |
| Public transport | 70 | 42 |
| Family-friendly | 62 | 58 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | $450/mo | $450/mo |
| Life expectancy | 79 yr | 79 yr |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +5 °C | -4 °C |
| July avg | +19 °C | +23 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 152 | 180 |
| Rainfall / year | 950 mm | 850 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1.5 h | 1.5 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: United States vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
? Frequently asked questions
Is Seattle cheaper than Detroit?
Detroit is about 25% cheaper than Seattle overall — its cost-of-living index is 96 versus 128 for Seattle.
How much do you need to earn in Detroit to live like in Seattle?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Seattle is worth about $56,212 in Detroit. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Seattle or Detroit?
Both cities are in the same country, so national income tax (37%) and VAT are identical; only local cost of living differs.
◷ More comparisons from Seattle
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.