CICostIndexUSA

Bellingham, WA vs St. Petersburg, FL Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

WA
Bellingham
103.3
overall index
$1,975/mo rent
More AffordableFL
St. Petersburg
100.9
overall index
$2,025/mo rent

St. Petersburg is slightly cheaper than Bellingham — 2.3% lower overall cost of living.

To match an $80,000 salary in Bellingham, you would need $78,100 in St. Petersburg. Calculate your salary ↓

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing+11.4%
Bellingham
112.9
St. Petersburg
125.8
🛒 Groceries−9.0%
Bellingham
105
St. Petersburg
95.5
🚗 Transportation−1.9%
Bellingham
104.4
St. Petersburg
102.4
🏥 Healthcare−1.9%
Bellingham
94.5
St. Petersburg
92.7
⚡ Utilities−11.4%
Bellingham
99.9
St. Petersburg
88.5

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in Bellingham to see what you'd need to earn in St. Petersburg to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
→
Equivalent salary in St. Petersburg, FL
$78,100
$1,900 less needed in St. Petersburg

Formula: salary × (100.9 ÷ 103.3) = salary × 0.9768. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

Bellingham, WA

Median Home Price
$621,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,975
Housing Index
112.9
Price-to-Rent Ratio
26.2×

St. Petersburg, FL

Median Home Price
$362,000
Median Monthly Rent
$2,025
Housing Index
125.8
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.9×

St. Petersburg has 11.4% higher housing costs compared to Bellingham.

Income & Job Market

Bellingham, WA

Median Household Income
$86,200
Per Capita Income
$49,100
Unemployment Rate
4.2%
Population
92,314
Top Industries
EducationHealthcareTechnologyManufacturingTourism

St. Petersburg, FL

Median Household Income
$78,300
Per Capita Income
$44,600
Unemployment Rate
4.3%
Population
258,308
Top Industries
HealthcareFinanceTourismTechnologyRetail

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

Bellingham, WA
3.6×income-to-rent ratio

73% of income left after rent (median)

St. Petersburg, FL
3.2×income-to-rent ratio

69% of income left after rent (median)

Bellingham vs other cities

Bellingham, WA
vs
Bremerton, WA
Index: 103.3Index: 105.6
Bellingham, WA
vs
Kennewick, WA
Index: 103.3Index: 100.1
Bellingham, WA
vs
Mount Vernon, WA
Index: 103.3Index: 102.4
Bellingham, WA
vs
Asheville, NC
Index: 103.3Index: 96.5
Bellingham, WA
vs
Redding, CA
Index: 103.3Index: 100.7

St. Petersburg vs other cities

St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Cape Coral, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 102.3
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Daytona Beach, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 99.4
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Index: 100.9Index: 114.2
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Scottsdale, AZ
Index: 100.9Index: 103.3
St. Petersburg, FL
vs
Lubbock, TX
Index: 100.9Index: 91.3

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.