Cost of Living
per year
per month
How Bellingham's prices compare to the US city average across major spending categories.
Index: 100 = US city average. Values >100 mean more expensive, <100 means cheaper.
How far does your salary go in Bellingham?
Your $100,000 in Bellingham has the same purchasing power as $91,550 in the average US city. You'd need $8,450 more here to maintain that standard of living.
Demographics and workforce data from the US Census ACS 5-Year.
bachelor's or higher
Climate, safety, and walkability indicators.
See a side-by-side breakdown of cost of living, housing, and salaries.
Popular comparisons
Sorted by affordability — most affordable first.
Within 10 points of Bellingham's cost index of 109, sorted by closest match.
Bellingham, Washington has a cost-of-living index of 109, which is 9% above the national average. The typical renter pays $1,385 per month. The median household earns $64,026 per year.
To match the lifestyle of a $70,000 earner in the average US city, you'd need about $76,461 per year in Bellingham. Single renters typically want at least three times the $16,620 threshold to cover housing comfortably.
Bellingham is near the US city average. Overall prices are 9% above the national average.