Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,744 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brooklyn, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

216

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index
184

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

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Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,437

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Brooklyn, NY 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 Brooklyn, NY and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,437 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $4,437
Seattle, WA $3,744

A couple spends around $6,601 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $5,703 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $6,601
Seattle, WA $5,703

A family of three spends $8,766 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $7,661 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Brooklyn, NY $8,766
Seattle, WA $7,661

Brooklyn, NY costs about 18% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 231%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$24.56 $24.56

-19.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 $106

$99.5 $99.5

6.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$15.30 $15.30

-21.90%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.62 $6.62

-14.65%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.25 $3.25

-21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$3.11 $3.11

-28.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.77 $7.77

4.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 $8.81

$7.93 $7.93

11.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.21 $1.21

38.84%

White Bread (500g)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.94 $4.94

-4.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.28 $7.28

$6.17 $6.17

17.99%

Eggs

$6.48 $6.48

$4.96 $4.96

30.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.24 $16.24

$19.00 $19.00

-14.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.15 $17.15

$18.69 $18.69

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 $19.76

$23.14 $23.14

-14.61%

Apples (1kg)

$8.10 $8.10

$5.93 $5.93

36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$1.94 $1.94

95.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$5.19 $5.19

3.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$6.55 $6.55

-10.38%

Potato (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.62 $3.62

10.77%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.16 $3.16

51.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.91 $2.91

-12.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.38 $2.38

3.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.90 $14.90

$12.36 $12.36

20.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.71 $20.71

$15.02 $15.02

37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$4.30 $4.30

-38.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$5.69 $5.69

-40.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.05 $3.05

0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$151 $151

$109 $109

39.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.64 $2.64

15.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.74 $1.74

26.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.16 $42.16

$30.02 $30.02

40.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.46 $1.46

-21.23%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

-4.72%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-0.65%

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

$244 $244

$299 $299

-18.54%

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

$61.5 $61.5

$69.7 $69.7

-11.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$90.1 $90.1

-32.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$107 $107

$80.0 $80.0

33.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 $35.20

$35.62 $35.62

-1.18%

Cinema Ticket

$20.29 $20.29

$17.33 $17.33

17.08%

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

$2,646 $2,646

$2,986 $2,986

-11.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K $34.3K

$31.3K $31.3K

9.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$77.7 $77.7

-9.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.4 $76.4

$54.9 $54.9

39.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$126 $126

-5.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$165 $165

-25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,711 $3,711

$2,407 $2,407

54.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,694 $2,694

$1,963 $1,963

37.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,368 $7,368

$4,788 $4,788

53.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,813 $4,813

$3,561 $3,561

35.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.4K $13.4K

$7,430 $7,430

80.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,757 $7,757

$5,010 $5,010

54.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,661 $3,661

$6,280 $6,280

-41.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.85

-2.63%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brooklyn, NY

$2.7K 60.6%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 27.1% $731

Groceries & Markets

Brooklyn, NY

$550 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 1.6% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brooklyn, NY

$367 8.2%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 25.3% $93

Eating Out

Brooklyn, NY

$339 7.6%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 18.7% $63

Getting Around

Brooklyn, NY

$177 4%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 25.5% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Brooklyn, NY

$175 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 9.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Brooklyn, NY

$147 3.3%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 22.1% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $541 – making Seattle, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

3 h behind Brooklyn, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,736,074

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brooklyn, NY Seattle, WA 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Brooklyn, NY
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Brooklyn, NY vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, $3,744 in Seattle, WA – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,655 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $5,616 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $99.0 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 18%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,744 in Seattle, WA to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.