Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and SeaTac, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in SeaTac, WA: $3,199 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in SeaTac, WA
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SeaTac, WA Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

SeaTac, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,199

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in SeaTac, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in SeaTac, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,950 per month in New York, NY vs $3,199 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $4,950
SeaTac, WA $3,199

A couple spends around $7,265 per month in New York, NY vs $4,502 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $7,265
SeaTac, WA $4,502

A family of three spends $9,581 per month in New York, NY vs $5,806 in SeaTac, WA, rent included.

New York, NY $9,581
SeaTac, WA $5,806

New York, NY costs about 55% more than SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and SeaTac, WA sit above the global median – New York, NY by 267%, SeaTac, WA by 137%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$25.20 $25.20

-2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$81.3 $81.3

49.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$11.93 $11.93

16.60%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.60 $5.60

17.68%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$3.26 $3.26

17.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.05 $2.05

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$3.93 $3.93

98.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$5.91 $5.91

66.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.14 $1.14

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.05 $4.05

15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.34 $3.34

125.75%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$7.05 $7.05

-15.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$14.77 $14.77

27.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.22 $14.22

22.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$17.37 $17.37

6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$5.37 $5.37

25.51%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.67 $1.67

25.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.29 $4.29

41.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.61 $4.61

46.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.23 $2.23

81.61%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.03 $3.03

44.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.82 $1.82

58.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.17 $3.17

-17.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.28 $12.28

52.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$18.19 $18.19

10.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.77 $1.77

83.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$1.98 $1.98

88.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.66 $2.66

15.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$89.6 $89.6

56.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.54 $2.54

19.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.70 $1.70

26.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$30.11 $30.11

38.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 $1.44

-22.22%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.2K $36.2K

-2.12%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

-4.66%

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

$219 $219

$227 $227

-3.44%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$61.7 $61.7

18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$82.2 $82.2

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$35.17 $35.17

248.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$20.01 $20.01

238.18%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$17.63 $17.63

29.61%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$2,120 $2,120

57.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$32.3K $32.3K

85.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$49.02 $49.02

53.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$22.17 $22.17

136.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$63.4 $63.4

91.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$46.85 $46.85

184.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$2,292 $2,292

91.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,762 $1,762

77.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$3,882 $3,882

129.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,636 $2,636

103.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$4,016 $4,016

383.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$3,930 $3,930

73.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$6,146 $6,146

-13.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.55

4.12%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for SeaTac, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

SeaTac, WA

$1.8K 55.1% 43.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

SeaTac, WA

$445 13.9% 18.3% $100

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

SeaTac, WA

$357 11.2% 11.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

SeaTac, WA

$371 11.6% 1.8% $6.5

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

SeaTac, WA

$82 2.6% 52.5% $90

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

SeaTac, WA

$70 2.2% 58.2% $98

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

SeaTac, WA

$111 3.5% 33.2% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,389 in New York, NY versus $2,292 in SeaTac, 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 15% higher in SeaTac, 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 $122 in New York, NY versus $81.0 in SeaTac, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $545 vs $445 – making SeaTac, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 SeaTac, WA

🕒 Local time

00:23 12:23 AM

21:23 9:23 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

31,454

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

New York, NY SeaTac, WA 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
SeaTac, 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 York, NY vs SeaTac, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 55% more than SeaTac, WA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,424 per month in New York, NY and $4,798 in SeaTac, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,333 per month in New York, NY and $2,120 in SeaTac, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 22% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,950 in New York, NY and $3,199 in SeaTac, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. SeaTac, WA costs $3,199 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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