Cost of living in Burien research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Burien is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in Washington, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Burien is 142, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Burien is 1.4x higher than the national average.
Burien ranks as the #135 cheapest in Washington out of 192.
Burien ranks as the #5,468 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Burien is $631,627.
The median income in Burien is $90,597.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Burien has an overall cost of living index of 142, which is 1.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to Washington, Burien has a cost of living index that's 1.2x higher than Washington's index of 118.
The standard of living in Burien ranks as #135 most affordable out of the 192 places we measured in Washington. By definition, that implies Burien ranks as the #57 most expensive place in the Evergreen State.
For more reading on life in Burien, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Burien. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Burien is 114.
The Groceries index in Burien is 117.
The Health index in Burien is 115.
The Housing index in Burien is 203.
The Transportation index in Burien is 127.
The Utilities index in Burien is 95.
| Living Expense | Burien | Washington | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 142 | 118 | 100 | |
| Services | 114 | 111 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 117 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 115 | 122 | 100 | |
| Housing | 203 | 135 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 127 | 124 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 95 | 91 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in Washington, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Burien is $631,627.
The Median Rent in Burien is $1,742.
The Median Income in Burien is $90,597.
The Home Value To Income in Burien is 7.0x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Burien is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Burien | Washington | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $631,627 | $595,737 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,742 | $1,682 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $90,597 | $94,952 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 7.0x | 6.3x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.21x | 0.21x |
| Item | Burien | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.24 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $11.87 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $17.56 | $18 |
| Haircut | $32.12 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $43.48 | $45.56 |
| Item | Burien | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.66 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.78 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.85 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.43 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.86 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $11.77 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.46 | $3.7 |
| Item | Burien | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $242.14 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $139.77 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $164.3 | $113.29 |
| Item | Burien | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.39 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $77.69 | $59.92 |
| Item | Burien | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $175.38 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $207.11 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Burien. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Tacoma, WA has a cost of living index of 130, 0.9x Burien.
Renton, WA has a cost of living index of 147, 1.0x Burien.
Bremerton, WA has a cost of living index of 123, 0.9x Burien.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Burien |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma, WA | 220,482 | 130 | 0.9x |
| Renton, WA | 105,279 | 147 | 1.0x |
| Bremerton, WA | 44,531 | 123 | 0.9x |
| Des Moines, WA | 32,545 | 137 | 1.0x |
| SeaTac, WA | 31,143 | 132 | 0.9x |
| Mercer Island, WA | 25,282 | 263 | 1.9x |
| Bainbridge Island, WA | 24,607 | 185 | 1.3x |
| Tukwila, WA | 21,479 | 129 | 0.9x |
| Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA | 17,577 | 145 | 1.0x |
| Port Orchard, WA | 16,398 | 135 | 1.0x |