1. COST OF LIVING DIFFERENCE:
SEATTLE VS. SAN FRANCISCO
Fatima Alamire & Lauren Mittelman

2. HOUSING
Cost of Housing – 1 bedroom apartment:
Seattle:
$873 per month including utilities, gym, washing machine, 1 car garage
San Francisco:
$807 per month in *Oakland* (more affordable), utilities, including swimming
pool, basketball courts
Housing compared to national average Index (100):
Seattle: 149.1 (49.1% higher housing than national average)
San Francisco: 184.8 (84.4% higher housing than national average)

3. FOOD
Seattle - $535 – groceries ($412) and dining out ($123)
San Francisco - $589 – groceries ($370) and dining out ($219)
Milk (Gallon):
San Francisco - $3.29
Seattle - $2.68

4. TRANSPORTATION:
Seattle
via King Country Metro
($2.25 one way X 2 per day X 30 days)
+ ($60 emergency taxi money)
=
TOTAL: $145
San Francisco
via BART and Muni Metro
($2.00 one way X 2 per day X 22 days)
+ ($1.50 one way X 2 per day X 8 days)
+ ($60 emergency taxi money)
=
TOTAL: $172

5. HEALTHCARE
San Francisco: HMO “Saver” Plan - $250 per month, $0 deductible, $10
copay, outpatient ER coinsurance 20%
Seattle: Evolve Plus – Regence Blue Shield PPO Network
$242 per month, annual deductible $1000, %20 coinsurance

6. EXTRACURRICULARS:
San Francisco:
Bars and Clubs: $40
Museums and Art Exhibits: $75
Miscellaneous: $80 Cable Car Rides, Alcatraz, Live Theater, San Francisco
Zoo, Wine Tasting
Seattle:
Bars and Clubs: $40
Kayaking: $30 X 3 times a month
Museums and Art Exhibits: $55
Miscellaneous: $130
Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of
Flight, Space Needle

7. PAYING SCHOOL DEBT
Loan Balance: $22,000.00
Loan Interest Rate: 3.50%
Loan Term: 10 years
Minimum Payment: $50.00
Average Debt per Year: $5,500.00
Monthly Loan Payment:$217.55
Number of Payments:120
Cumulative Payments:$26,105.84
Total Interest Paid:$4,105.84
Monthly loan payment was calculated at 119 payment of $217.55, plus a final
payment of $217.39

8. WORKS CITED
"Best Places to Live in Seattle, Washington." Best Places to Live in Seattle, Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June
2012. <http://www.bestplaces.net/city/washington/seattle>.
"Cost of Food & Drink for People in Seattle,WA." Average Cost of Food & Drink in Seattle,WA. N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.bundle.com/spending/data/food-drink/seattle-wa>.
"Metro Fares." King County Metro. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. http://metro.kingcounty.gov/
tops/bus/fare/fare-info.html.
"Search Apartments By City." ForRent.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://
www.forrent.com/results.php?search_type=citystate>.
"Shop and Compare." Regence Online Application Plan Options. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://
www.regence.com/productFilter.do?id=Standard>.
"FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator." FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June
2012. <http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml>.
"Cost of Living Wizard | Salary.com." Cost of Living Wizard | Salary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012.
<http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/Layoutscri
"California Health Plans and Benefits." California Health Insurance. Anthem Blue Cross, n.d. Web. 11 June 2012.
<http://www.anthem.com/ca/health-insurance/plans-and-benefits/health-insurance-plan>.