Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Montclair, NJ: $2,899 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Montclair, NJ
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Montclair, NJ Living Index
184

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

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Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,899 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $2,899
Seattle, WA $3,785

A couple spends around $4,264 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $5,688 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $4,264
Seattle, WA $5,688

A family of three spends $5,629 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $7,592 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Montclair, NJ $5,629
Seattle, WA $7,592

Montclair, NJ is about 23% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montclair, NJ and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Montclair, NJ by 113%, Seattle, WA by 178%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.04 $20.04

$25.30 $25.30

-20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$101 $101

-20.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 $13.14

$14.76 $14.76

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$6.35 $6.35

$6.50 $6.50

-2.31%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$3.21 $3.21

-23.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.14 $3.14

-53.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$7.97 $7.97

2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 $7.17

$8.13 $8.13

-11.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.17 $1.17

8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.48 $4.48

$5.30 $5.30

-15.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.40 $6.40

-5.47%

Eggs

$6.13 $6.13

$5.06 $5.06

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$18.71 $18.71

-26.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$18.72 $18.72

-45.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.41 $19.41

$22.88 $22.88

-15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$6.06 $6.06

-0.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.95 $1.95

15.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.51 $5.51

-23.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$6.52 $6.52

-16.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.49 $3.49

-10.03%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.29 $3.29

-8.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.80 $2.80

3.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.58 $2.58

5.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.55 $14.55

$12.49 $12.49

16.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.14 $15.14

$14.87 $14.87

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$4.19 $4.19

-55.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$5.80 $5.80

-38.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 $2.58

18.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.64 $1.64

33.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$30.12 $30.12

41.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.41 $1.41

-19.86%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$36.8K $36.8K

-25.04%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.6K $26.6K

-4.33%

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

$170 $170

$308 $308

-44.61%

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

$51.6 $51.6

$69.2 $69.2

-25.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$86.1 $86.1

-41.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.8 $80.8

$76.5 $76.5

5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$20.23 $20.23

$18.02 $18.02

12.26%

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

$1,998 $1,998

$2,746 $2,746

-27.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$30.6K $30.6K

-47.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 $70.1

$79.2 $79.2

-11.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$54.3 $54.3

-6.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$127 $127

-20.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$159 $159

-24.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,261 $2,261

$2,508 $2,508

-9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 $1,540

$1,938 $1,938

-20.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,631 $3,631

$5,117 $5,117

-29.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,557 $2,557

$3,542 $3,542

-27.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

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 Montclair, NJ: October 26, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montclair, NJ

$1.5K 53.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 25.9% $399

Groceries & Markets

Montclair, NJ

$451 15.6%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 21.4% $96

Eating Out

Montclair, NJ

$347 12%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 17.2% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montclair, NJ

$273 9.4%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 69.8% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Montclair, NJ

$154 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 22.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Montclair, NJ

$121 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 7.2% $8.7

Getting Around

Montclair, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 822% $115

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,261 in Montclair, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81 in Montclair, NJ versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $547 – making Montclair, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

3 h behind Montclair, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,669

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

Montclair, NJ Seattle, WA 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montclair, 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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,348 per month in Montclair, NJ 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 Montclair, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,261 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,899 in Montclair, NJ and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. That’s a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $1,998 per month in Montclair, NJ and $2,746 in Seattle, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,899 in Montclair, NJ and $3,785 in Seattle, WA. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Montclair, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.