Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bergen County, NJ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bergen County, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

207

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index

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Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bergen County, NJ and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bergen County, NJ and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Bergen County, NJ $4,319
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,498 in Bergen County, NJ versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Bergen County, NJ $5,498
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,677 in Bergen County, NJ versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Bergen County, NJ $6,677
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Bergen County, NJ is roughly 14% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bergen County, NJ 217% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.56 $23.56

$25.30 $25.30

-6.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$101 $101

-16.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.06 $13.06

$14.76 $14.76

-11.52%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$6.50 $6.50

-21.38%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.21 $3.21

-9.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.14 $3.14

-27.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$7.97 $7.97

2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.13 $8.13

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.17 $1.17

21.37%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.30 $5.30

-15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$6.40 $6.40

17.81%

Eggs

$5.16 $5.16

$5.06 $5.06

1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.70 $12.70

$18.71 $18.71

-32.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.60 $11.60

$18.72 $18.72

-38.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.31 $17.31

$22.88 $22.88

-24.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$6.06 $6.06

-12.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.95 $1.95

-17.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$5.51 $5.51

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.69 $5.69

$6.52 $6.52

-12.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.49 $3.49

-13.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.29 $3.29

-3.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.80 $2.80

-11.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.58 $2.58

-4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.49 $12.49

-6.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.59 $24.59

$14.87 $14.87

65.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$4.19 $4.19

-59.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 $4.53

$5.80 $5.80

-21.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.05 $3.05

35.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$171 $171

$106 $106

61.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.58 $2.58

9.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.64 $1.64

-3.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 $23.84

$30.12 $30.12

-20.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.41 $1.41

-20.57%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K $27.9K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.24%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.79%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$212 $212

$308 $308

-31.20%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$73.8 $73.8

$69.2 $69.2

6.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.6 $65.6

$86.1 $86.1

-23.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 $101

$76.5 $76.5

32.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.5 $50.5

$35.50 $35.50

42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$18.02 $18.02

-17.65%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$2,461 $2,461

$2,746 $2,746

-10.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$30.6K $30.6K

-23.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$79.2 $79.2

-36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.54 $44.54

$54.3 $54.3

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 $79.0

$127 $127

-37.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$151 $151

$159 $159

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 $2,727

$2,508 $2,508

8.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$1,938 $1,938

37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,560 $4,560

$5,117 $5,117

-10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,995 $2,995

$3,542 $3,542

-15.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,935 $3,935

$7,374 $7,374

-46.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,765 $3,765

$5,002 $5,002

-24.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,455 $5,455

$6,470 $6,470

-15.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.89

-3.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bergen County, NJ: October 27, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 61.6%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 27.1% $721

Groceries & Markets

Bergen County, NJ

$467 10.8%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 17.2% $80

Eating Out

Bergen County, NJ

$366 8.5%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 10.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bergen County, NJ

$351 8.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 31.8% $112

Getting Around

Bergen County, NJ

$198 4.6%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 34.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Bergen County, NJ

$146 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 29.1% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Bergen County, NJ

$131 3%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 13.9% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,727 in Bergen County, NJ and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Bergen County, NJ vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $547 per month, with Bergen County, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

23:07 11:07 PM

3 h behind Bergen County, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,668

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bergen County, NJ Seattle, WA 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bergen County, NJ
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bergen County, NJ vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ and $3,785 in Seattle, WA, so Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Bergen County, NJ. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,727 in Bergen County, NJ versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bergen County, NJ – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $4,319 per month in Bergen County, NJ versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.