Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Lee, NJ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Fort Lee, NJ and in Seattle, WA: $3,894 and $3,785 a month, rent and utilities included.

187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index
184

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

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Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Lee, NJ $3,894
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Lee, NJ $6,154
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Fort Lee, NJ $8,415
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Fort Lee, NJ is roughly 3% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fort Lee, NJ 186% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$25.30 $25.30

-1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.2 $81.2

$101 $101

-19.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$14.76 $14.76

-25.81%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$6.50 $6.50

-17.69%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.21 $3.21

-31.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$3.14 $3.14

-51.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$7.97 $7.97

2.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.13 $8.13

-1.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.17 $1.17

13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$5.30 $5.30

-27.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$6.40 $6.40

6.09%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$5.06 $5.06

-8.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$18.71 $18.71

-32.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$18.72 $18.72

-36.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.50 $17.50

$22.88 $22.88

-23.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$6.06 $6.06

-10.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.95 $1.95

-9.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$5.51 $5.51

13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$6.52 $6.52

-16.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.49 $3.49

16.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.29 $3.29

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.80 $2.80

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.58 $2.58

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.78 $11.78

$12.49 $12.49

-5.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 $11.86

$14.87 $14.87

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$4.19 $4.19

-59.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$5.80 $5.80

-65.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.05 $3.05

-11.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$135 $135

$106 $106

27.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.58 $2.58

16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.64 $1.64

28.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$30.12 $30.12

-19.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.41 $1.41

-39.01%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.02%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.51%

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

$215 $215

$308 $308

-29.99%

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

$75.8 $75.8

$69.2 $69.2

9.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$86.1 $86.1

-25.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$76.5 $76.5

65.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 $14.55

$18.02 $18.02

-19.26%

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

$2,027 $2,027

$2,746 $2,746

-26.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$30.6K $30.6K

-22.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.93 $41.93

$79.2 $79.2

-47.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$54.3 $54.3

6.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$127 $127

-38.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 $84.5

$159 $159

-46.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,927 $2,927

$2,508 $2,508

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,299 $2,299

$1,938 $1,938

18.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,548 $6,548

$5,117 $5,117

27.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$3,542 $3,542

38.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,299 $4,299

$7,374 $7,374

-41.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,727 $3,727

$5,002 $5,002

-25.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,606 $6,606

$6,470 $6,470

2.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.89

-2.03%

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

Last update for Fort Lee, 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

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 15.7% $360

Groceries & Markets

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 25% $109

Eating Out

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 10% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 30.3% $108

Getting Around

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 18.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 27.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 60.2% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81 in Fort Lee, NJ vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $547 per month, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

06:21 6:21 AM

3 h behind Fort Lee, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,008

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fort Lee, NJ Seattle, WA 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Fort Lee, 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

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

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $5,840 in Fort Lee, NJ and $5,677 in Seattle, WA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,894 per month in Fort Lee, NJ versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 21% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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.