Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Clifton, NJ: $2,771 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

135

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
Learn more

Clifton, NJ Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $2,771
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $4,035
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Clifton, NJ $5,299
Seattle, WA $7,489

Clifton, NJ is about 27% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Clifton, NJ and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.14 $22.14

$24.52 $24.52

-9.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$98.2 $98.2

-19.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.83 $12.83

$14.79 $14.79

-13.25%

Cappuccino

$6.41 $6.41

$6.52 $6.52

-1.69%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.23 $3.23

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$3.17 $3.17

-43.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$7.85 $7.85

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.05 $7.05

$8.03 $8.03

-12.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.21 $1.21

9.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.14 $5.14

-10.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$6.05 $6.05

0.66%

Eggs

$5.80 $5.80

$4.88 $4.88

18.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$19.18 $19.18

-27.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.09 $10.09

$18.91 $18.91

-46.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$23.31 $23.31

-19.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$5.99 $5.99

-1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.93 $1.93

21.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$5.25 $5.25

18.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$6.57 $6.57

-19.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.62 $3.62

-2.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.31 $3.31

31.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.13 $3.13

$2.78 $2.78

12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.51 $2.51

4.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.06 $15.06

$12.18 $12.18

23.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.21 $15.21

$14.83 $14.83

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$4.22 $4.22

-57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$5.77 $5.77

-37.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.95 $2.95

45.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.65 $2.65

11.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.72 $1.72

27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$29.72 $29.72

42.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.49 $1.49

-24.16%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$35.9K $35.9K

-7.84%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

-2.58%

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

$219 $219

$302 $302

-27.37%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$70.1 $70.1

-27.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 $66.5

$85.3 $85.3

-22.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 $29.05

$77.8 $77.8

-62.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$20.63 $20.63

$17.84 $17.84

15.64%

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

$1,967 $1,967

$2,973 $2,973

-33.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$31.3K $31.3K

-48.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.73 $31.73

$76.6 $76.6

-58.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 $20.32

$54.1 $54.1

-62.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$128 $128

-14.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$164 $164

-16.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$2,445 $2,445

-44.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$1,947 $1,947

-29.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$4,744 $4,744

-39.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,215 $2,215

$3,469 $3,469

-36.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,457 $8,457

$7,367 $7,367

14.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,324 $4,324

$6,506 $6,506

-33.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.89

-1.31%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 41.5% $571

Groceries & Markets

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 18.6% $86

Eating Out

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 10.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 35.9% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 41.5% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 61.4% $43

Getting Around

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 316% $98

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Clifton, NJ versus $2,445 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 50% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $460 vs $546 – making Clifton, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

15:20 3:20 PM

12:20 12:20 PM

3 h behind Clifton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,606

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Clifton, NJ
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $3,782 in Seattle, WA – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 36%.

Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Clifton, NJ and $2,973 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,771 in Clifton, NJ to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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