Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Barnegat, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnegat, NJ: $2,609 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Barnegat, NJ
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Barnegat, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Barnegat, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Barnegat, NJ $2,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,925 in Barnegat, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Barnegat, NJ $3,925

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,242 in Barnegat, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Barnegat, NJ $5,242

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 44% more expensive than in Barnegat, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Barnegat, NJ 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.22 $18.22

30.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$95.6 $95.6

3.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.68 $10.68

39.89%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.17 $5.17

31.33%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.30 $3.30

-2.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.72 $2.72

15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$7.08 $7.08

15.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.15 $8.15

-3.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.10 $1.10

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.06 $4.06

30.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.22 $4.22

36.49%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.86 $4.86

0.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.57 $12.57

61.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.01 $13.01

37.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$18.55 $18.55

25.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$6.17 $6.17

-3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 $1.54

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.55 $5.55

-3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.88 $3.88

69.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.79 $2.79

21.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.85 $2.85

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.36 $2.36

22.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.23 $2.23

8.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.69 $13.69

-11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.74 $15.74

-3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.61 $2.61

67.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.94 $3.94

49.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.04 $2.04

45.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$58.0 $58.0

88.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.78 $1.78

41.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.38 $1.38

24.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$24.24 $24.24

22.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.97 $0.97

55.67%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$33.3K $33.3K

8.63%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.07%

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

$289 $289

$211 $211

36.77%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$65.9 $65.9

4.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$81.5 $81.5

4.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.06 $40.06

73.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$14.52 $14.52

23.76%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,951 $1,951

44.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$20.6K $20.6K

113.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$52.9 $52.9

72.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$62.6 $62.6

-12.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.0 $92.0

38.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$110 $110

47.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,398 $1,398

84.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,217 $1,217

59.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,354 $2,354

116.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,111 $2,111

67.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,227 $3,227

127.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,127 $2,127

131.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.9

-1.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Barnegat, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Barnegat, NJ

$1.2K 46.7% 37.4% $726

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Barnegat, NJ

$431 16.5% 20.8% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Barnegat, NJ

$358 13.7% 19% $84

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Barnegat, NJ

$316 12.1% 20.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Barnegat, NJ

$143 5.5% 27.2% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Barnegat, NJ

$75 2.9% 43.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Barnegat, NJ

$69 2.7% 34.4% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $96 in Barnegat, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $431 per month, with Barnegat, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Barnegat, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

13:30 1:30 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,817

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Barnegat, NJ 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Barnegat, 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 Barnegat, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ, so Barnegat, NJ is about 31% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,642 in Seattle, WA and $3,913 in Barnegat, NJ 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,398 in Barnegat, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $1,951 in Barnegat, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,609 in Barnegat, NJ versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Barnegat, NJ but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Barnegat, NJ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Barnegat, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.