Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Astoria, NY: $3,296 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Astoria, NY
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Astoria, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Astoria, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,296 in Astoria, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Astoria, NY $3,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,596 in Astoria, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Astoria, NY $4,596

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,896 in Astoria, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Astoria, NY $5,896

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 15% more expensive than in Astoria, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Astoria, NY 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.16 $19.16

32.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$80.6 $80.6

25.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.19 $10.19

44.85%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.46 $4.46

45.74%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.63 $1.63

96.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.81 $1.81

73.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.13 $5.13

55.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.80 $7.80

4.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.79 $3.79

39.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.83 $3.83

67.10%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.53 $3.53

43.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.48 $16.48

13.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.84 $8.84

111.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$13.43 $13.43

70.36%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.95 $3.95

53.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.87 $1.87

4.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.56 $2.56

115.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.83 $3.83

70.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.47 $2.47

41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.37 $2.37

38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.95 $1.95

43.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.56 $2.56

0.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.60 $14.60

-14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$20.14 $20.14

-26.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 $1.76

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.34 $3.34

73.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$142 $142

-25.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.22 $2.22

-26.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$42.29 $42.29

-28.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.89 $0.89

58.43%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.3K $30.3K

21.29%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

2.48%

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

$308 $308

$113 $113

172.95%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$56.8 $56.8

21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$50.2 $50.2

71.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$45.60 $45.60

67.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$19.75 $19.75

-8.76%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$3,035 $3,035

-9.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-10.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$25.44 $25.44

211.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$20.12 $20.12

169.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$29.45 $29.45

330.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$50.2 $50.2

216.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,298 $2,298

9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,095 $2,095

-7.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,784 $3,784

35.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,131 $3,131

13.12%

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 %)

6.89

6.45

6.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Astoria, 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%

Astoria, NY

$2.1K 63.6% 8.1% $157

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Astoria, NY

$379 11.5% 30.7% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Astoria, NY

$220 6.7% 52.5% $243

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Astoria, NY

$292 8.9% 28% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Astoria, NY

$56 1.7% 70.1% $132

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Astoria, NY

$168 5.1% 30.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Astoria, NY

$85 2.6% 24.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,298 in Astoria, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81 in Astoria, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $379 per month, with Astoria, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Astoria, NY

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

14:07 2:07 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

150,165

💱 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 Astoria, NY 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,296 in Astoria, NY, so Astoria, NY is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $4,944 in Astoria, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,298 in Astoria, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,296 in Astoria, NY – Astoria, NY is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 25% less than in Astoria, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Astoria, 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.