Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Seattle, WA and in Fort Lee, NJ: $3,785 and $3,894 a month, rent and utilities included.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Fort Lee, NJ $3,894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,154 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Fort Lee, NJ $6,154

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,415 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Fort Lee, NJ $8,415

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 3% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Fort Lee, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.04 $25.04

1.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$81.2 $81.2

24.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.95 $10.95

34.79%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.35 $5.35

21.50%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.19 $2.19

46.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.52 $1.52

106.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.18 $8.18

-2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.02 $8.02

1.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.33 $1.33

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.84 $3.84

38.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.79 $6.79

-5.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.63 $4.63

9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.55 $12.55

49.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.86 $11.86

57.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.50 $17.50

30.74%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.45 $5.45

11.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.77 $1.77

10.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.27 $6.27

-12.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.42 $5.42

20.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$4.06 $4.06

-14.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.92 $3.92

-16.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.90 $2.90

-3.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.73 $2.73

-5.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.78 $11.78

6.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$11.86 $11.86

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.71 $1.71

145.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.03 $2.03

185.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.71 $2.71

12.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$135 $135

-21.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.01 $3.01

-14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.10 $2.10

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.13 $24.13

24.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.86 $0.86

63.95%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.37%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.51%

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

$308 $308

$215 $215

42.84%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$75.8 $75.8

-8.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$64.2 $64.2

34.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$127 $127

-39.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.55 $14.55

23.85%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,027 $2,027

35.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.8K $23.8K

28.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$41.93 $41.93

88.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$57.6 $57.6

-5.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$77.6 $77.6

63.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$84.5 $84.5

88.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,927 $2,927

-14.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,299 $2,299

-15.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$6,548 $6,548

-21.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,918 $4,918

-27.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,299 $4,299

71.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,727 $3,727

34.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,606 $6,606

-2.06%

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 Fort Lee, 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%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 59% 18.6% $360

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$438 11.2% 20% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Fort Lee, NJ

$355 9.1% 23.2% $108

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Fort Lee, NJ

$369 9.5% 9.1% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$118 3% 37.6% $71

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 23.4% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 38.6% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $81 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $438 per month, with Fort Lee, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

07:25 7:25 AM

10:25 10:25 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

37,008

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Fort Lee, NJ 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Fort Lee, NJ

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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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Seattle, WA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $5,840 in Fort Lee, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,927 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,894 in Fort Lee, NJ – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Seattle, WA runs roughly 21% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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.