2025 Compare Cities Cost of Living:
Tacoma, WA vs Arlington, WA

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Highlights
Is it cheaper to live in Arlington or is it cheaper to live in Tacoma?
- Arlington is 11.0% more expensive than Tacoma.

Which city has more affordable housing, Arlington or Tacoma?
- Arlington housing costs are 22.1% more expensive than Tacoma housing costs.

Is Health Care more affordable in Tacoma or is Health Care more affordable in Arlington.
- Health related expenses are 1.8% less in Arlington.
 Tacoma, WAArlington, WAUnited States
 Overall  Unlock136.2100
 Food & Groceries101.2  Unlock100
 Health  Unlock86.7100
 Housing148.2  Unlock100
 Median Home Cost  Unlock$586,100$338,100
 Utilities68  Unlock100
 Transportation  Unlock112.4100
 Miscellaneous129.4  Unlock100
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
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Reviews for Tacoma    40 Reviews

I've lived in Tacoma for 3.5 years and love it! It's not a perfect city, nowhere is perfect and Tacoma does have its' share of problems, but overall have found T-Town  More

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Over 4 years ago

We LOVE tacoma. Grew up in Seattle, and tacoma is so much better! Easy access to the water, hiking, and Mt Rainier and the Olympics. We love the coffee shops and  More

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Over 5 years ago

Having lived over half my life here I can tell you real friends are few and far between. You will go through many and only have a handful who stick with you. Your  More

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Reviews for Arlington    4 Reviews

Over 8 years ago

Arlington is a nice area, however the property taxes are very high. We built a home here in 2015 . The home is similar to the one we lived in in Arlington's "twin" city  More

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Arlington is north of Seattle. Like the entire Greater Seattle area, the quality of life is easy going. The weather is generally gentle all year long. A little snow in  More

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Over 16 years ago

We live on the West side of I-5, area known as Smokey Point/Lakewood/7 Lakes. As do several other family members. The area still has a very rural feeling without driving  More

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