Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Atlantic City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Atlantic City, NJ: $2,821 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Atlantic City, NJ
Learn more

Atlantic City, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Atlantic City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,821 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Atlantic City, NJ $2,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,228 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Atlantic City, NJ $4,228

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,635 in Atlantic City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Atlantic City, NJ $5,635

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Atlantic City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Atlantic City, NJ 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.73 $19.73

24.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$98.1 $98.1

0.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.30 $11.30

30.88%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.43 $5.43

20.07%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.28 $2.28

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.01 $2.01

57.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.09 $6.09

28.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.78 $8.78

-8.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.24 $1.24

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.38 $3.38

52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.27 $7.27

-16.78%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.21 $4.21

15.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.18 $11.18

71.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$16.67 $16.67

13.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$20.14 $20.14

15.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$7.55 $7.55

-20.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.69 $3.69

-47.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.41 $5.41

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.86 $5.86

12.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.98 $3.98

-9.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.75 $4.75

-30.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.54 $2.54

9.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.45 $2.45

2.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.24 $14.24

-14.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.27 $13.27

11.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.64 $2.64

59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.38 $3.38

70.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.04 $3.04

-2.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$88.3 $88.3

20.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.99 $2.99

-11.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.11 $2.11

-18.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.73 $42.73

-30.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.96 $0.96

55.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$20.4K $20.4K

76.20%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.8K $24.8K

5.72%

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

$302 $302

$250 $250

20.69%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$61.2 $61.2

14.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$61.0 $61.0

39.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$29.59 $29.59

163.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$50.1 $50.1

-30.96%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$16.78 $16.78

6.32%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$503 $503

491.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$7,031 $7,031

344.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$70.5 $70.5

8.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$31.78 $31.78

70.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$122 $122

5.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$120 $120

36.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,737 $1,737

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,307 $1,307

48.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,320 $2,320

104.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,175 $2,175

59.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$4,255 $4,255

73.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$4,212 $4,212

21.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,017 $4,017

61.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Atlantic City, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Atlantic City, NJ

$1.3K 46.3% 32.8% $639

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Atlantic City, NJ

$488 17.3% 10.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Atlantic City, NJ

$372 13.2% 18.6% $85

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Atlantic City, NJ

$322 11.4% 19.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Atlantic City, NJ

$155 5.5% 18.7% $36

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Atlantic City, NJ

$114 4% 11.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Atlantic City, NJ

$63 2.2% 44.4% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 62% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $98.0 in Atlantic City, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $546 vs $488, with Atlantic City, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Atlantic City, NJ

🕒 Local time

20:40 8:40 PM

23:40 11:40 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

39,958

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Atlantic City, NJ 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Atlantic City, NJ

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 Atlantic City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Atlantic City, NJ differ by about 34% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,821 including rent). Atlantic City, NJ is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 62% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,737 in Atlantic City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Atlantic City, NJ 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 Atlantic City, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.