Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Edison, NJ: $3,122 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
151

Cost of Living Index in Edison, NJ
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Edison, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Edison, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,122 in Edison, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Edison, NJ $3,122

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,397 in Edison, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Edison, NJ $4,397

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,671 in Edison, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Edison, NJ $5,671

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 21% more expensive than in Edison, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Edison, NJ 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$18.26 $18.26

38.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$59.8 $59.8

68.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.17 $9.17

60.96%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$4.08 $4.08

59.31%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$1.03 $1.03

211.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$0.98 $0.98

220.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$3.44 $3.44

131.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.82 $6.82

19.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.00 $1.00

17.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.22 $3.22

64.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.14 $6.14

4.23%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$2.54 $2.54

99.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.49 $13.49

38.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.34 $10.34

81.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.70 $19.70

16.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.93 $5.93

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.54 $1.54

26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.32 $4.32

27.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.40 $5.40

20.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.01 $3.01

15.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.11 $3.11

5.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.10 $3.10

-9.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 $1.96

31.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.05 $10.05

24.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.72 $14.72

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 $1.76

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.54 $3.54

63.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$5.84 $5.84

-47.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$199 $199

-46.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.05 $3.05

-15.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.91 $0.91

80.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$42.35 $42.35

-28.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.90 $0.90

56.67%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

33.99%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.4K $26.4K

0.88%

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

$308 $308

$170 $170

80.55%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.4 $51.4

34.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$50.6 $50.6

70.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$21.98 $21.98

247.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.98 $14.98

20.29%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,006 $2,006

36.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$15.8K $15.8K

93.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.8 $50.8

55.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$80.2 $80.2

-32.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$61.1 $61.1

107.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$88.5 $88.5

79.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,171 $2,171

15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,772 $1,772

9.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,129 $3,129

63.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,722 $2,722

30.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,960 $6,960

-7.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.42

7.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Edison, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Edison, NJ

$1.8K 56.8% 8.6% $166

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Edison, NJ

$408 13.1% 25.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Edison, NJ

$272 8.7% 41.2% $190

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Edison, NJ

$261 8.4% 35.7% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Edison, NJ

$126 4.1% 33.1% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Edison, NJ

$230 7.4% 78.1% $101

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Edison, NJ

$52 1.7% 53.8% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,171 in Edison, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edison, NJ pays 8% 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 $60 in Edison, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $408 per month, with Edison, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Edison, NJ

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

107,588

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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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 Edison, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $3,122 in Edison, NJ, so Edison, NJ is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Seattle, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,171 in Edison, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 47% less than in Edison, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,006 in Edison, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Edison, NJ 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.