CompensationJun 25, 2019
Paychexdunder1

What is the best way to calculate cost of living in a new town? Seattle

I’m considering an offer from a company on Seattle and I used several websites to check how much to maintain my life-style living in upstate NY. The problem the thee websites gave me very different answers, 160k, 130k, 110k. For those who moved to Seattle, how did you calculate the difference? I’m afraid of accepting the new offer since it will be 160k and that’s not an upgrade to me. I got the 160k base after negotiation. No room for more.

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CVS Health Canada🇨🇦 Jun 25, 2019

Which Seattle company? Your YOE and Tc?

New
SxkU44 Jun 25, 2019

Same problem. I'm also moving to Seattle. There's a few different websites but I don't think any of them are good

Infosys zingtwo Jun 25, 2019

Numbeo has some good information about cost of living

Uber vnkkhf Jun 25, 2019

Second this. Numbeo has great data.

Groupon sleepy Jun 25, 2019

You can’t maintain your upstate NY lifestyle here in Seattle. Period.

JUUL j2mtdkr Jun 25, 2019

In terms of Seattle cost of living, we're really just talking rent. A top end 1 bedroom apartment is $2,500. A mid-tier apartment is in the $1,750-$2,200 range. All other costs such as gas, food, utilities will run roughly the same. The plus is Seattle doesn't have a state income tax, so factor that into your comp.

Infosys zingtwo Jun 25, 2019

What about commuting. New York has a better subway system, but people live far from their work and commute for hours everyday.

JUUL j2mtdkr Jun 25, 2019

The question mentioned upstate NY. There's no subway in upstate

Dropbox fixer17 Jun 25, 2019

160k eh? Betting its an Amazon offer. All assumptions aside housing wise Juul is right. Public transport wise you will see a sharp increase on transportation here. Parking costs money. Busses are quick but inconvenient. Links are effective however not everywhere. Sounders are the fastest of all but in even fewer spots. All of which begs the question if you dont do major groccery hauls, hike, and or like road trips. There just might not be a need for purchasing your own car.

Qualcomm rptwu Jun 25, 2019

What’s so expensive about taking a reachnow, lime car, or just renting a car for a weekend trip the handful of times you actually do so per year?

Dropbox fixer17 Jun 26, 2019

@rptwu simply a cost comparison vs the web like subway system New York has. It is harder to reach some places in Washington without the rental car. And chances are for those trips will cost more than a month of subway rides. This isnt to say you dont need to rent a car in NYC just saying they have more options to get to more locations there vs here.

Pivotal AllDaSmoke Jun 25, 2019

Plug your info into SmartAsset's Salary Calculator.(withholding, HSA, 401k %, etc.) Search for apartments in your desired city with similar amenities, size, commute, etc. Subtract that rent from your net income. Decide if the leftover net income is enough for savings, fun, etc. The problem with COL converters is they assume that 1. You spend every penny you make into a predefined category, and 2. You're trying to buy a house. Personal finance is personal for these reasons.

Facebook low Jun 26, 2019

Seattle is expensive. Housing, daycare, restaurants... No income tax is good, but in many ways, even San Diego is less expensive.