Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Albany, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, NY: $2,868 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Albany, NY

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,868 in Albany, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Albany, NY $2,868

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,155 in Albany, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Albany, NY $4,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,442 in Albany, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Albany, NY $5,442

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Albany, NY 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$27.05 $27.05

-6.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.6 $98.6

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.24 $15.24

-3.15%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.58 $6.58

-1.22%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.60 $2.60

23.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.98 $1.98

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.08 $6.08

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$10.36 $10.36

-21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.07 $1.07

9.35%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.19 $3.19

66.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.90 $6.90

-7.25%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.30 $5.30

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.72 $16.72

11.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.03 $16.03

16.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.56 $18.56

23.28%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.90 $4.90

23.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.66 $5.66

-2.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.63 $4.63

40.82%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.30 $3.30

5.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.57 $3.57

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.32 $2.32

20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.04 $2.04

26.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.90 $14.90

-16.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.18 $14.18

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.06 $2.06

103.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.83 $3.83

51.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.53 $1.53

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$64.3 $64.3

64.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.86 $4.86

-46.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.42 $1.42

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.47 $30.47

-1.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.11 $1.11

27.03%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

32.92%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.31%

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

$308 $308

$211 $211

45.97%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$69.6 $69.6

-0.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$89.3 $89.3

-3.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$35.93 $35.93

112.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$39.42 $39.42

-9.94%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.27 $15.27

18.01%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,473 $1,473

86.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.0K $17.0K

80.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.2 $54.2

46.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.13 $39.13

38.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$112 $112

13.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$108 $108

46.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,448 $1,448

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,345 $1,345

44.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,529 $2,529

102.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,974 $1,974

79.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,468 $2,468

198.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,345 $2,345

113.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,350 $4,350

48.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.66

3.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Albany, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 46.9% 30.6% $594

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Albany, NY

$453 15.8% 17.2% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Albany, NY

$370 12.9% 20.1% $93

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Albany, NY

$410 14.3% 1% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Albany, NY

$141 4.9% 25.2% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Albany, NY

$82 2.9% 36.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Albany, NY

$66 2.3% 40.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,448 in Albany, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 49% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $99 in Albany, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $453 per month, with Albany, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

05:08 5:08 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

101,228

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Albany, NY 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Albany, NY

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

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

Albany, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Albany, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 49% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,448 in Albany, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,868 in Albany, NY – Albany, NY is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, NY 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.

It comes down to priorities – Albany, NY wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.