Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
Learn more

Long Island, NY Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $5,930 per month in Long Island, NY vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $7,634 per month in Long Island, NY vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Seattle, WA $7,592

Long Island, NY costs about 12% more than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Long Island, NY and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Long Island, NY by 210%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$25.30 $25.30

-0.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$101 $101

-2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$14.76 $14.76

-25.54%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$6.50 $6.50

-21.85%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.21 $3.21

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.14 $3.14

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$7.97 $7.97

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.13 $8.13

-2.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.17 $1.17

12.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$5.30 $5.30

-19.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$6.40 $6.40

-69.69%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$5.06 $5.06

3.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$18.71 $18.71

-61.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$18.72 $18.72

-36.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$22.88 $22.88

-29.11%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$6.06 $6.06

-29.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.95 $1.95

-38.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.51 $5.51

-62.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.52 $6.52

-5.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.49 $3.49

-69.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.29 $3.29

-33.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.80 $2.80

-47.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.58 $2.58

10.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$12.49 $12.49

-5.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$14.87 $14.87

18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$4.19 $4.19

-58.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$5.80 $5.80

-29.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.05 $3.05

-2.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$106 $106

22.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.58 $2.58

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.64 $1.64

21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$30.12 $30.12

-18.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.41 $1.41

-21.28%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.30%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.18%

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

$192 $192

$308 $308

-37.66%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$69.2 $69.2

-30.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$86.1 $86.1

-37.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$76.5 $76.5

-59.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$35.50 $35.50

187.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$18.02 $18.02

-18.48%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$2,746 $2,746

-10.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$30.6K $30.6K

-23.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$79.2 $79.2

-49.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$54.3 $54.3

4.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$127 $127

-39.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$159 $159

-2.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$2,508 $2,508

27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,938 $1,938

45.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$5,117 $5,117

10.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$3,542 $3,542

21.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$7,374 $7,374

-19.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$5,002 $5,002

-15.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$6,470 $6,470

-23.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.89

-3.77%

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

Last update for Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 31.3% $882

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 43.3% $165

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 11% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 57.6% $169

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 16.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 27.6% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 85.4% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,189 in Long Island, NY versus $2,508 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 30% 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 $99 in Long Island, NY versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $547 – making Long Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

3 h behind Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Long Island, NY Seattle, WA 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY, $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Seattle, WA comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,337 per month in Long Island, NY and $5,677 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Seattle, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,225 in Long Island, NY and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.