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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: New York, NY is 12.8% more expensive than Seattle, WA without rent, and 22.4% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: New York, NY is 12.5% more expensive than Seattle, WA without rent, and 28.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$29.68 $29.68
$25.11 $25.11
18.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$144 $144
$118 $118
21.75%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 $12.43
$13.84 $13.84
-10.19%
Cappuccino
$5.84 $5.84
$5.8 $5.8
0.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.95 $2.95
10.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.51 $2.51
2.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.24 $8.24
$7.81 $7.81
5.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$11.86 $11.86
$7.84 $7.84
51.28%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.56 $1.56
$1.34 $1.34
16.42%
White Bread (500g)
$5.23 $5.23
$4.98 $4.98
5.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.11 $8.11
$5.35 $5.35
51.59%
Eggs
$7.25 $7.25
$6.91 $6.91
4.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$17.08 $17.08
$24.8 $24.8
-31.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$15.74 $15.74
3.18%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.02 $20.02
$20.84 $20.84
-3.93%
Apples (1kg)
$7.49 $7.49
$6.05 $6.05
23.80%
Banana (1kg)
$2.55 $2.55
$2.75 $2.75
-7.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.82 $5.82
$5.47 $5.47
6.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.52 $6.52
$6.45 $6.45
1.09%
Potato (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.11 $3.11
19.61%
Onion (1kg)
$3.9 $3.9
$3.69 $3.69
5.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.07 $3.07
$2.78 $2.78
10.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.52 $2.52
1.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.21 $19.21
$11.64 $11.64
65.03%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.79 $17.79
$17.15 $17.15
3.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.01 $3.01
$2.94 $2.94
2.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$4.19 $4.19
-11.22%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.8 $2.8
4.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$134 $134
$101 $101
32.85%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 $5.13
$2.68 $2.68
91.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.65 $1.65
30.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.57 $41.57
$30.13 $30.13
37.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.16 $1.16
-18.10%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35K $35K
$33.3K $33.3K
5.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.7K $27.7K
$26.3K $26.3K
5.44%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$271 $271
-34.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$60 $60
$61.8 $61.8
-2.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.8 $63.8
$75.2 $75.2
-15.10%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$141 $141
$78.4 $78.4
79.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$63.9 $63.9
$41.04 $41.04
55.70%
Cinema Ticket
$19.9 $19.9
$15.89 $15.89
25.24%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$3,206 $3,206
$2,248 $2,248
42.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$56.5K $56.5K
$29K $29K
94.61%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$65.7 $65.7
$69.5 $69.5
-5.51%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.75 $48.75
$52.5 $52.5
-7.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$111 $111
$120 $120
-6.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$172 $172
$142 $142
20.51%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,165 $4,165
$2,376 $2,376
75.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,653 $2,653
$1,829 $1,829
45.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$8,412 $8,412
$4,702 $4,702
78.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$5,277 $5,277
$3,474 $3,474
51.90%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$15.6K $15.6K
$6,928 $6,928
125.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$11.2K $11.2K
$5,224 $5,224
113.57%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
New York, NY
Seattle, WA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,616 $5,616
$6,473 $6,473
-13.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.44
6.42
0.31%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 28, 2025

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 29, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.