Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Haven, CT and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in New Haven, CT: $2,467 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in New Haven, CT
Learn more

New Haven, CT Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,467

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,467 in New Haven, CT versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

New Haven, CT $2,467
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,066 in New Haven, CT versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

New Haven, CT $4,066
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,665 in New Haven, CT versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

New Haven, CT $5,665
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in New Haven, CT costs roughly 35% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Haven, CT 82% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 $19.82

$24.52 $24.52

-19.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$98.2 $98.2

-22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.79 $14.79

-12.24%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$6.52 $6.52

-21.78%

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

$2.13 $2.13

$3.23 $3.23

-34.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.17 $3.17

-50.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.85 $7.85

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.89 $7.89

$8.03 $8.03

-1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.21 $1.21

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.14 $5.14

-14.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$6.05 $6.05

22.15%

Eggs

$5.81 $5.81

$4.88 $4.88

19.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.68 $10.68

$19.18 $19.18

-44.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.49 $10.49

$18.91 $18.91

-44.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.09 $17.09

$23.31 $23.31

-26.68%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$5.99 $5.99

-10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.93 $1.93

-10.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$5.25 $5.25

-36.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$6.57 $6.57

-53.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.62 $3.62

-40.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.31 $3.31

-25.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.78 $2.78

-2.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.51 $2.51

13.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.18 $12.18

-2.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.13 $17.13

$14.83 $14.83

15.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$4.22 $4.22

-58.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$5.77 $5.77

-51.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.95 $2.95

-41.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.0 $63.0

$106 $106

-40.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.65 $2.65

10.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.72 $1.72

17.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.21 $24.21

$29.72 $29.72

-18.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.49 $1.49

-26.85%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$35.9K $35.9K

-23.39%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.2K $26.2K

-1.16%

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

$176 $176

$302 $302

-41.76%

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

$36.44 $36.44

$70.1 $70.1

-48.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.6 $57.6

$85.3 $85.3

-32.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.68 $31.68

$77.8 $77.8

-59.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$12.68 $12.68

$17.84 $17.84

-28.92%

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

$2,177 $2,177

$2,973 $2,973

-26.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$31.3K $31.3K

-22.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.10 $38.10

$76.6 $76.6

-50.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.58 $16.58

$54.1 $54.1

-69.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.6 $76.6

$128 $128

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$164 $164

-3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$2,445 $2,445

-24.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,195 $1,195

$1,947 $1,947

-38.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,141 $4,141

$4,744 $4,744

-12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$3,469 $3,469

-18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,021 $3,021

$7,367 $7,367

-58.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,657 $2,657

$5,127 $5,127

-48.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,102 $4,102

$6,506 $6,506

-36.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.89

-5.52%

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

Last update for New Haven, CT: October 17, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Haven, CT

$1.2K 48.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 63% $752

Groceries & Markets

New Haven, CT

$413 16.8%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 32% $132

Eating Out

New Haven, CT

$319 12.9%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 25.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Haven, CT

$270 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 69.4% $187

Clothing & Footwear

New Haven, CT

$131 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 45.7% $60

Getting Around

New Haven, CT

$83 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 56% $46

Sport & Entertainment

New Haven, CT

$57 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 99% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,844 in New Haven, CT and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $76.0 in New Haven, CT vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $413 vs $546 per month, with New Haven, CT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

23:14 11:14 PM

3 h behind New Haven, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,001

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

New Haven, CT Seattle, WA 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New Haven, CT
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

New Haven, CT vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Haven, CT and Seattle, WA differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($2,467 vs $3,782 including rent). New Haven, CT is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,844 in New Haven, CT versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in New Haven, CT – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,467 per month in New Haven, CT versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. New Haven, CT 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.

Expats usually find New Haven, CT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.