Fatima Alamire & Lauren Mittelman

COST OF LIVING DIFFERENCE:

SEATTLE VS. SAN FRANCISCO

Cost of Housing – 1 bedroom apartment:

Seattle:

$873 per month including utilities, gym, washing machine, 1 car garage

San Francisco:

$807 per month in *Oakland* (more affordable), utilities, including swimming pool, basketball courts

Housing compared to national average Index (100):

Seattle: 149.1 (49.1% higher housing than national average)

San Francisco: 184.8 (84.4% higher housing than national average)

HOUSING

Seattle - $535 – groceries ($412) and dining out ($123)

San Francisco - $589 – groceries ($370) and dining out ($219)

Milk (Gallon):

San Francisco - $3.29

Seattle - $2.68

FOOD

Seattle

via King Country Metro

($2.25 one way X 2 per day X 30 days)

+ ($60 emergency taxi money)

=

TOTAL: $145

San Francisco

via BART and Muni Metro

($2.00 one way X 2 per day X 22 days)

+ ($1.50 one way X 2 per day X 8 days)

+ ($60 emergency taxi money)

=

TOTAL: $172

TRANSPORTATION:

San Francisco: HMO “Saver” Plan - $250 per month, $0 deductible, $10 copay, outpatient ER coinsurance 20%

Seattle: Evolve Plus – Regence Blue Shield PPO Network

$242 per month, annual deductible $1000, %20 coinsurance

HEALTHCARE

San Francisco:

Bars and Clubs: $40

Museums and Art Exhibits: $75

Miscellaneous: $80 Cable Car Rides, Alcatraz, Live Theater, San Francisco Zoo, Wine Tasting

Seattle:

Bars and Clubs: $40

Kayaking: $30 X 3 times a month

Museums and Art Exhibits: $55

Miscellaneous: $130

Woodland Park Zoo, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Aquarium, Museum of Flight, Space Needle

EXTRACURRICULARS:

Loan Balance: $22,000.00

Loan Interest Rate: 3.50%

Loan Term: 10 years

Minimum Payment: $50.00

Average Debt per Year: $5,500.00

Monthly Loan Payment:$217.55

Number of Payments:120

Cumulative Payments:$26,105.84

Total Interest Paid:$4,105.84

Monthly loan payment was calculated at 119 payment of $217.55, plus a final payment of $217.39

PAYING SCHOOL DEBT

"Best Places to Live in Seattle, Washington." Best Places to Live in Seattle, Washington. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.bestplaces.net/city/washington/seattle>.

"Cost of Food & Drink for People in Seattle,WA." Average Cost of Food & Drink in Seattle,WA. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.bundle.com/spending/data/food-

drink/seattle-wa>.

"Metro Fares." King County Metro. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/bus/fare/fare-info.html.

"Search Apartments By City." ForRent.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.forrent.com/results.php?search_type=citystate>.

"Shop and Compare." Regence Online Application Plan Options. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http:// www.regence.com/productFilter.do?id=Standard>.

"FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator." FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml>.

"Cost of Living Wizard | Salary.com." Cost of Living Wizard | Salary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/Layoutscri

"California Health Plans and Benefits." California Health Insurance. Anthem Blue Cross, n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.anthem.com/ca/health-insurance/plans-and-benefits/health-insurance-plan>.

WORKS CITED