City comparison
Auburn, WA is about 20 miles (30 km) from Bellevue, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 30 miles, or about 26 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Auburn, WA to Bellevue, WA takes about 2 min, covering roughly 20 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Bellevue has a population of 150,606, vs 85,623 in Auburn — about 1.8× larger by population. By land area, Bellevue covers about 33 sq mi vs 30 sq mi for Auburn.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Auburn | Bellevue | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,594/mo | $2,422/mo | 51.9% higher in Bellevue |
| Median home value | $460,100 | $1,139,500 | 147.7% higher in Bellevue |
| Median household income | $87,406 | $149,551 | 71.1% higher in Bellevue |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Auburn |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Auburn |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 108.1 | 1.3% higher in Bellevue |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Bellevue |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Auburn, you'd need $102,087 in Bellevue to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Auburn, WA is about 2% cheaper overall than Bellevue, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Bellevue than in Auburn. If you earn $80,000 in Auburn, you'd need about $81,670 in Bellevue to keep the same standard of living.