Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Bergen County, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bergen County, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
207

Cost of Living Index in Bergen County, NJ
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Bergen County, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Bergen County, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$4,319

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Bergen County, NJ $4,319

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,498 in Bergen County, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Bergen County, NJ $5,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,677 in Bergen County, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Bergen County, NJ $6,677

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 12% less than in Bergen County, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Bergen County, NJ 217% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$23.56 $23.56

7.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.7 $84.7

19.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.06 $13.06

13.02%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.11 $5.11

27.20%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.90 $2.90

10.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.27 $2.27

38.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.16 $8.16

-2.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.97 $7.97

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.42 $1.42

-17.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.48 $4.48

18.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.54 $7.54

-15.12%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.16 $5.16

-1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.70 $12.70

47.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.60 $11.60

61.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.31 $17.31

32.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.32 $5.32

13.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.61 $1.61

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.68 $5.68

-2.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.69 $5.69

14.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.03 $3.03

15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.18 $3.18

3.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.47 $2.47

13.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.47 $2.47

4.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.74 $11.74

6.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$24.59 $24.59

-39.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.69 $1.69

147.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.53 $4.53

28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.13 $4.13

-26.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$171 $171

-37.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.59 $1.59

3.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.84 $23.84

26.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

31.99%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.94%

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

$308 $308

$212 $212

45.35%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$73.8 $73.8

-6.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$65.6 $65.6

31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$101 $101

-24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$50.5 $50.5

-29.70%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.84 $14.84

21.43%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,461 $2,461

11.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.3K $23.3K

31.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.5 $50.5

56.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.54 $44.54

21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.0 $79.0

60.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$151 $151

5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,727 $2,727

-8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,660 $2,660

-27.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,560 $4,560

12.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,995 $2,995

18.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,935 $3,935

87.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,765 $3,765

32.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,455 $5,455

18.61%

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 Bergen County, NJ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Bergen County, NJ

$2.7K 61.6% 37.2% $721

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Bergen County, NJ

$467 10.8% 14.6% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Bergen County, NJ

$351 8.1% 24.2% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Bergen County, NJ

$366 8.5% 9.8% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Bergen County, NJ

$146 3.4% 22.5% $42

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Bergen County, NJ

$198 4.6% 53.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Bergen County, NJ

$131 3% 16.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,727 in Bergen County, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $85 in Bergen County, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $467 per month, with Bergen County, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Bergen County, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:28 5:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,668

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Bergen County, NJ 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs Bergen County, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ, so Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $2,727 in Bergen County, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Bergen County, NJ – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $4,319 in Bergen County, NJ – Seattle, WA is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.