Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and East Rutherford, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in East Rutherford, NJ: $2,376 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
114

Cost of Living Index in East Rutherford, NJ
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East Rutherford, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

East Rutherford, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,376

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,376 in East Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
East Rutherford, NJ $2,376

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,954 in East Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
East Rutherford, NJ $3,954

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,533 in East Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
East Rutherford, NJ $5,533

Seattle, WA costs about 59% more than East Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and East Rutherford, NJ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, East Rutherford, NJ by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.41 $22.41

12.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

0.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.93 $10.93

35.04%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.42 $5.42

19.93%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.14 $2.14

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.03 $2.03

54.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.05 $6.05

31.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.83 $7.83

3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.34 $1.34

-12.69%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.15 $4.15

27.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.24 $7.24

-11.60%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.04 $5.04

0.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.25 $12.25

52.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.96 $11.96

56.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.48 $17.48

30.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.39 $5.39

12.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.61 $1.61

21.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.06 $5.06

8.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.21 $5.21

25.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.80 $2.80

24.64%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.04 $3.04

8.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.51 $2.51

11.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.45 $2.45

5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.72 $11.72

6.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$24.04 $24.04

-38.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.74 $1.74

140.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.34 $4.34

33.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.05 $2.05

48.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$56.9 $56.9

86.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.63 $2.63

-1.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.54 $1.54

6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.88 $23.88

26.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.11 $1.11

27.03%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.0K $28.0K

31.44%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.25%

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

$308 $308

$210 $210

46.15%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$64.5 $64.5

7.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$66.0 $66.0

30.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.90 $41.90

82.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.46 $15.46

16.56%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,204 $2,204

24.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.7K $23.7K

28.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$40.95 $40.95

93.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.88 $47.88

13.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$77.6 $77.6

63.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

-0.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,084 $1,084

131.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$945 $945

105.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,810 $2,810

82.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,280 $2,280

55.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,674 $2,674

175.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,368 $2,368

111.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$5,146 $5,146

25.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.75

2.07%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for East Rutherford, NJ: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

East Rutherford, NJ

$945 39.8% 51.3% $994

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

East Rutherford, NJ

$455 19.2% 16.8% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

East Rutherford, NJ

$341 14.4% 26.3% $122

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

East Rutherford, NJ

$340 14.3% 16.4% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

East Rutherford, NJ

$146 6.2% 22.4% $42

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

East Rutherford, NJ

$75 3.2% 41.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

East Rutherford, NJ

$73 3.1% 35.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,084 in East Rutherford, 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 26% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $101 in East Rutherford, NJ. Groceries tell a different story – $547 in Seattle, WA vs $455 in East Rutherford, NJ – so East Rutherford, NJ wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 East Rutherford, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

10,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA East Rutherford, NJ 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
East Rutherford, NJ

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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 East Rutherford, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 59% more than East Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,563 in East Rutherford, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East Rutherford, NJ, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,084 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

Public transport costs about 46% less in East Rutherford, NJ. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,376 in East Rutherford, NJ. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward East Rutherford, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with East Rutherford, 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.