(The Center Square) – A recent report from Doxo, a third-party online bill payment website, finds that Seattle residents are continuing to deal with high costs of living, including increases in household bills and utility payments.

The report found that Seattleites are paying $418 per month on utilities. That is a 4.3% increase year-over-year. In comparison, Washington state residents spend $389 on utility bills per month. 

Seattle households spend about 37% of their income on household bills, with the average Seattle household paying $2,912 per month, or $34, 946 per year. The cost of living in Seattle is 42.3% higher than the national average of $2,046 and 18% higher than the state average of $2,468.

According to the report, Seattle is now ranked as the 14th most expensive city in Washington.

“While this might seem low on the list, there are plenty of expensive towns just outside of Seattle proper,” Doxo Insights Senior Director Liz Powell told The Center Square in an email. “The top three most expensive cities, for example, are Sammamish, Redmond and Mercer Island, followed by Bellevue, Issaquah and Woodinville.”

Powell added that utilities, auto insurance and auto loans are all big drivers in the total cost of living in Seattle. In the case of auto loans, rates are high when people tend to drive nice cars and in colder climates where residents tend to own more durable and expensive vehicles designed to withstand inclement weather.

The Center Square previously reported on Seattle Public Utilities blaming hotter and drier weather in 2023 for increased water usages as people resort to drinking and using more water. Higher usage is anticipated to result in an increase in projected revenues from utility bills this year.