USA, Seattle WA

Country Full Name: United States of America.

Location: The United States of America (USA) is in North America, bordering both the North Atlantic Ocean and the North Pacific Ocean, between Canada and Mexico.

Country Climate: Mostly temperate, but tropical in Hawaii and Florida, arctic in Alaska, semiarid in the great plains west of the Mississippi River, and arid in the Great Basin of the southwest; low winter temperatures in the northwest are ameliorated occasionally in January and February by warm chinook winds from the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.

Country Terrain: Vast central plain, mountains in west, hills and low mountains in east; rugged mountains and broad river valleys in Alaska; rugged, volcanic topography in Hawaii.

Major Languages: English.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 3.4 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of the United States is a capitalist mixed economy, fuelled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity. The U.S. economy is the largest national economy in the world, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) equal to a quarter of nominal global GDP and a fifth of global GDP at purchasing power parity.

Currency: US Dollar (USD).

Inflation: 2.9% (2011 est.).

Seattle is the Northernmost major city on the West Coast of the United States.

The major economic, cultural and educational centre in the region, Seattle is the centre of the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area, the 15th largest in the United States, and the largest in the north-western United States.

The cost of living in Seattle WA in the USA is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Seattle WA in the USA is currently ranked 254 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are average compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 375 places that are more expensive, and 404 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very high compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 132 places that are more expensive, and 647 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are average compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 426 places that are more expensive, and 353 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are very high compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 59 places that are more expensive, and 720 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are average compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 328 places that are more expensive, and 451 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very high compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 98 places that are more expensive, and 681 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very high compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 42 places that are more expensive, and 737 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are low compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 516 places that are more expensive, and 263 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are high compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 205 places that are more expensive, and 574 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are high compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 179 places that are more expensive, and 600 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are average compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 378 places that are more expensive, and 401 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very high compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 148 places that are more expensive, and 631 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very high compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 149 places that are more expensive, and 630 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Seattle WA in the USA are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Seattle WA in the USA is ranked as minimal hardship with a hardship index of 10%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Seattle WA in the USA are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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