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Miami vs Seattle: cost of living, pay and jobs compared
Seattle is the cheaper place to live: overall prices run 3% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 3% lower. Seattle pays more in dollars (a typical official wage of $72,500 against $48,500), and after local prices are counted the typical paycheck goes further in Seattle ($65,500 against $42,500 in average-US dollars).
The short answer
- Prices: Miami runs 3% higher than Seattle overall, and housing runs 3% higher.
- To keep the buying power of $100,000 in Seattle, you need about $102,500 in Miami. To keep $100,000 from Miami, you need about $97,500 in Seattle.
- Official median wage for all jobs: $48,500 in Miami, $72,500 in Seattle.
- Median pay listed in open postings: $115,000 in Miami, $182,500 in Seattle.
- Open postings in our data: 2,312 in Miami from 459 employers, 4,540 in Seattle from 533 employers.
- Unemployment: 3.7% in Miami, 4.8% in Seattle (BLS).
Miami and Seattle side by side
| Measure | Miami | Seattle | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (US = 100) | 114.2 | 111.1 | Seattle |
| Housing price level | 155.6 | 151.3 | Seattle |
| Official median wage, all jobs | $48,500 | $72,500 | Seattle |
| Paycheck power (wage adjusted for prices) | $42,500 | $65,500 | Seattle |
| Median pay in open postings | $115,000 | $182,500 | Seattle |
| Postings that list pay | 21.2% | 61.3% | Seattle |
| Open postings in our data | 2,312 | 4,540 | – |
| Employers hiring in our data | 459 | 533 | – |
| Unemployment rate (BLS) | 3.7% | 4.8% | Miami |
| Postings open more than 60 days | 32.1% | 41.8% | Miami |
| Median days a posting has been open | 30 | 44 | Miami |
| Entry-level share of postings | 16.5% | 7.2% | – |
| Remote share of postings | 5.7% | 7.9% | – |
| Indeed postings index vs Feb 2020 | +8.3% | -32.4% | Miami |
"Edge" shows which area looks better on that measure (lower prices, higher pay, lower unemployment, fewer stale postings); counts and shares have no edge. Within 2% counts as about the same.
Cost of living
Miami prices sit 114.2 against a US average of 100 and Seattle at 111.1. The biggest difference is housing: 155.6 in Miami against 151.3 in Seattle. Utilities are 5% higher in Miami. The index covers goods and services including rent and home costs, so it measures what a typical household spends, not what your own budget looks like.
| Price level (US = 100) | Miami | Seattle | Miami vs Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | 114.2 | 111.1 | 3% higher |
| Housing | 155.6 | 151.3 | 3% higher |
| Goods | 103.6 | 104 | about the same |
| Utilities | 97.2 | 92.8 | 5% higher |
| Other services | 109.1 | 106.8 | 2% higher |
What a salary is worth in each place
Each row keeps your purchasing power the same. The left half moves a salary from Seattle to Miami; the right half moves it the other way. "If only housing moved" uses the housing price level alone, for someone whose biggest cost is rent or a mortgage.
| Salary in Seattle | Matching salary in Miami | If only housing moved | Salary in Miami | Matching salary in Seattle | If only housing moved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $51,500 | $51,500 | $50,000 | $48,500 | $48,500 |
| $75,000 | $77,000 | $77,000 | $75,000 | $73,000 | $73,000 |
| $100,000 | $102,500 | $103,000 | $100,000 | $97,500 | $97,500 |
| $125,000 | $128,500 | $128,500 | $125,000 | $121,500 | $121,500 |
| $150,000 | $154,000 | $154,000 | $150,000 | $146,000 | $146,000 |
| $200,000 | $205,500 | $205,500 | $200,000 | $194,500 | $194,500 |
As hourly pay (2,080 hours a year): $100,000 a year is about $48.10 an hour; the matching figure is about $49.38 an hour in Miami for someone earning $100,000 in Seattle.
Pay for the same job
Across the 55 occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures in both areas, the median wage is higher in Miami for 1 and higher in Seattle for 54. After local prices are counted, Miami comes out ahead in 1 and Seattle in 54. The widest gap among the 15 largest occupations is waiters and waitresses: $36,100 in Miami against $57,300 in Seattle.
| Occupation (15 largest) | Miami median | Seattle median | Miami adjusted for prices | Seattle adjusted for prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | $34,300 | $42,100 | $30,100 | $37,900 |
| Software Developers | $132,700 | $167,300 | $116,200 | $150,500 |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | $29,600 | $39,200 | $25,900 | $35,200 |
| General and Operations Managers | $105,600 | $146,000 | $92,500 | $131,400 |
| Registered Nurses | $91,400 | $128,300 | $80,000 | $115,400 |
| Customer Service Representatives | $39,600 | $53,600 | $34,700 | $48,200 |
| Office Clerks, General | $44,700 | $53,300 | $39,200 | $48,000 |
| Cashiers | $30,300 | $44,200 | $26,500 | $39,800 |
| Waiters and Waitresses | $36,100 | $57,300 | $31,600 | $51,500 |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | $32,900 | $48,200 | $28,800 | $43,400 |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | $38,600 | $47,700 | $33,800 | $43,000 |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | $36,100 | $46,800 | $31,600 | $42,100 |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | $34,200 | $46,500 | $29,900 | $41,800 |
| Security Guards | $36,000 | $47,500 | $31,600 | $42,700 |
| Cooks, Restaurant | $36,900 | $47,700 | $32,300 | $42,900 |
Median annual wage for everyone in the occupation, all employers, May 2025 (BLS). "Adjusted" divides the wage by the area's price level (BEA, US = 100), so dollars are comparable.
Pay employers are offering right now
The wages above are what people earn in jobs they already hold. Open postings show what employers are offering today. In the job families where both areas have at least 15 postings that list pay, the median listed salary is higher in Miami for 0 of 5 and higher in Seattle for 5. Posted pay tends to run above the all-worker median because it leans toward hiring for experienced roles at larger employers.
| Job family | Miami median listed pay | Postings | Seattle median listed pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales | $105,000 | 67 | $130,000 | 166 |
| Software engineering | $187,000 | 15 | $200,000 | 146 |
| Operations and logistics | $92,500 | 18 | $141,500 | 108 |
| Marketing | $102,500 | 35 | $176,500 | 85 |
| Nursing and clinical care | $124,000 | 20 | $165,500 | 32 |
Only postings that list a salary are counted. Median of the middle of each listed range. Job families need at least 15 such postings in both areas to appear.
Who is hiring
Miami's postings lean toward healthcare & life sciences (19.8%), while Seattle's lean toward software & technology (32.8%). The mix matters because pay and hiring conditions differ a lot by industry.
- Largest posters in Miami: CenterWell (98), Floor & Decor (68), Lennar (62), RaceTrac (62), Veterinaryemergencygroupst (54).
- Largest posters in Seattle: SpaceX (467), Anthropic (183), CoreWeave (146), Shield AI (137), DoorDash USA (134).
Counts are open postings on each employer's own career page in our data; one big employer can shape a local market.
The job market
- Postings have been open a median of 30 days in Miami and 44 in Seattle; 32.1% and 41.8% have been open more than 60 days.
- Entry-level roles are 16.5% of postings in Miami and 7.2% in Seattle; senior and above are 35.7% and 52.5%.
- Fully remote roles are 5.7% of postings in Miami and 7.9% in Seattle.
- Indeed's postings index sits 8.3% above its February 2020 level in Miami and 32.4% below in Seattle.
- 21.2% of postings in Miami list pay, against 61.3% in Seattle.
Which is better for you?
- If you can keep your current salary and move, the place with the lower price level (Seattle) stretches it further: $100,000 in Miami has the buying power of about $97,500 in Seattle.
- If you will be paid the local going rate, Seattle comes out ahead after prices on the typical wage ($65,500 against $42,500).
- If housing is your biggest cost, the gap there (155.6 vs 151.3) matters more than the overall index.
No place is better for everyone. Taxes, commute, schools, climate and your own spending are not in these numbers.
Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Miami or Seattle?
Seattle is cheaper. Overall prices run 3% lower than in Miami, and housing runs 3% lower (BEA regional price parities, 2024, where the US average is 100).
How much do I need to earn in Miami to match $100,000 in Seattle?
About $102,500 a year, using the ratio of overall price levels (114.2 in Miami, 111.1 in Seattle). Prices only; taxes are not included.
Which city pays more, Miami or Seattle?
Seattle has the higher typical wage across all jobs: $72,500 against $48,500 (BLS, May 2025). After local prices, Seattle has the higher paycheck power: $65,500 against $42,500 in average-US dollars.
Which has more job openings?
In the postings we read from employers' own career pages, Seattle has more: 4,540 against 2,312. This is a sample of employer postings, not a census of every job.
Where do these numbers come from?
Prices come from the Bureau of Economic Analysis, wages and unemployment from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and postings from employers' own career pages, collected October 2026. Every figure on this page is in a table or chart above.
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Updated October 2026. Prices only: taxes and personal spending are not included. Price levels: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities, 2024. Wages and unemployment: Bureau of Labor Statistics (wages May 2025). Postings: employers' own career pages, October 2026. Methodology