Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,744 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brooklyn, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
216

Cost of Living Index in Brooklyn, NY
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Brooklyn, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Brooklyn, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,437

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Brooklyn, NY $4,437

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $6,601 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Brooklyn, NY $6,601

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $8,766 in Brooklyn, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Brooklyn, NY $8,766

Seattle, WA is about 16% cheaper than Brooklyn, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Brooklyn, NY sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Brooklyn, NY by 231%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.72 $19.72

24.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$106 $106

-6.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$11.95 $11.95

28.03%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$5.65 $5.65

17.17%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.54 $2.54

27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.23 $2.23

39.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$8.10 $8.10

-4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$8.81 $8.81

-9.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.68 $1.68

-27.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$4.70 $4.70

5.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$7.28 $7.28

-15.25%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$6.48 $6.48

-23.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$16.24 $16.24

17.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$17.15 $17.15

8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$19.76 $19.76

17.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$8.10 $8.10

-26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.80 $3.80

-48.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.37 $5.37

-3.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$5.87 $5.87

11.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.01 $4.01

-9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$4.78 $4.78

-33.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.56 $2.56

13.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.47 $2.47

-3.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$14.90 $14.90

-17.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$20.71 $20.71

-27.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.65 $2.65

62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.38 $3.38

68.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.06 $3.06

-0.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$151 $151

-28.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.04 $3.04

-13.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.20 $2.20

-20.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$42.16 $42.16

-28.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.15 $1.15

26.96%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

4.96%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

0.65%

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

$299 $299

$244 $244

22.76%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$61.5 $61.5

13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$61.2 $61.2

47.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$107 $107

-25.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$35.20 $35.20

1.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$20.29 $20.29

-14.59%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$2,646 $2,646

12.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$34.3K $34.3K

-8.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$70.0 $70.0

11.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$76.4 $76.4

-28.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$119 $119

5.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$122 $122

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,711 $3,711

-35.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$2,694 $2,694

-27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$7,368 $7,368

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$4,813 $4,813

-26.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$13.4K $13.4K

-44.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$7,757 $7,757

-35.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,661 $3,661

71.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.67

2.70%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$2.7K 60.6% 37.2% $731

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Brooklyn, NY

$550 12.4% 1.6% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Brooklyn, NY

$367 8.2% 20.2% $93

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Brooklyn, NY

$339 7.6% 15.8% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Brooklyn, NY

$175 3.9% 8.4% $16

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Brooklyn, NY

$177 4% 34.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Brooklyn, NY

$147 3.3% 28.4% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 72% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $106 in Brooklyn, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $550 – making Seattle, WA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

06:29 6:29 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,736,074

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Brooklyn, NY 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY – roughly 18% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,655 in Brooklyn, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA and $106 in Brooklyn, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. That's a gap of about 18%.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $3,744 in Seattle, WA to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Seattle, WA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.