Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Clifton, NJ: $2,771 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Clifton, NJ
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Clifton, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Clifton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,771

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Clifton, NJ $2,771

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,035 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Clifton, NJ $4,035

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,299 in Clifton, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Clifton, NJ $5,299

Seattle, WA costs about 36% more than Clifton, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Clifton, NJ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Clifton, NJ by 105%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$22.14 $22.14

10.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$78.7 $78.7

24.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.83 $12.83

15.28%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.41 $6.41

1.72%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.44 $2.44

32.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.79 $1.79

77.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.91 $7.91

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.05 $7.05

13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.33 $1.33

-9.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.61 $4.61

11.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.09 $6.09

-0.66%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.80 $5.80

-15.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.90 $13.90

37.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.09 $10.09

87.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.68 $18.68

24.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.92 $5.92

1.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.34 $2.34

-17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.21 $6.21

-15.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.26 $5.26

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.52 $3.52

2.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.34 $4.34

-23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.13 $3.13

-11.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.63 $2.63

-4.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.06 $15.06

-19.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.21 $15.21

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.79 $1.79

135.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.63 $3.63

58.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.30 $4.30

-31.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.95 $2.95

-10.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.19 $2.19

-21.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.36 $42.36

-29.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.13 $1.13

31.86%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$33.1K $33.1K

8.51%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.65%

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

$302 $302

$219 $219

37.69%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$50.7 $50.7

38.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.5 $66.5

28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$29.05 $29.05

167.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$20.63 $20.63

-13.52%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,967 $1,967

51.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$16.3K $16.3K

92.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$31.73 $31.73

141.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$20.32 $20.32

165.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$109 $109

17.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$138 $138

19.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,348 $1,348

81.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,376 $1,376

41.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,860 $2,860

65.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,215 $2,215

56.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$8,457 $8,457

-12.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,324 $4,324

50.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.8

1.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Clifton, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Clifton, NJ

$1.4K 49.7% 29.3% $571

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Clifton, NJ

$460 16.6% 15.7% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Clifton, NJ

$336 12.1% 26.4% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Clifton, NJ

$363 13.1% 9.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Clifton, NJ

$135 4.9% 29.3% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Clifton, NJ

$31 * 1.1% 75.9% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Clifton, NJ

$70 2.5% 38.1% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,348 in Clifton, NJ. 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 50% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $79.0 in Clifton, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $460 – making Clifton, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:26 5:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

79,606

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Clifton, NJ 3,850 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 Clifton, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,771 in Clifton, NJ – roughly 36% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,157 in Clifton, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,771 in Clifton, NJ. That's a gap of about 36%.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,967 in Clifton, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,771 in Clifton, NJ. 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 $2,771 in Clifton, NJ to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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