Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Hackensack, NJ: $3,387 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Hackensack, NJ
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Hackensack, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Hackensack, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Hackensack, NJ $3,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,155 in Hackensack, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Hackensack, NJ $5,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,923 in Hackensack, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Hackensack, NJ $6,923

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 12% more expensive than in Hackensack, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Hackensack, NJ 149% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.17 $25.17

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.4 $98.4

2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.09 $13.09

12.76%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.44 $5.44

19.49%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.39 $2.39

34.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.55 $1.55

102.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.83 $7.83

1.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.96 $7.96

2.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.28 $1.28

-8.59%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.38 $4.38

21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.08 $6.08

5.26%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.93 $5.93

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.53 $12.53

49.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$7.97 $7.97

134.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.19 $17.19

33.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.48 $5.48

10.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.30 $4.30

28.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.39 $5.39

20.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.12 $3.12

11.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.97 $2.97

10.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.81 $2.81

-0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.93 $2.93

-11.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.70 $11.70

6.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.82 $14.82

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.60 $3.60

61.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.60 $3.60

-15.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$59.2 $59.2

78.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.08 $3.08

-16.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.10 $2.10

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.30 $24.30

23.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.08 $1.08

30.56%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.8K $27.8K

32.46%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.34%

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

$308 $308

$213 $213

44.73%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$54.2 $54.2

27.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$49.74 $49.74

73.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$45.08 $45.08

69.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$20.12 $20.12

-10.44%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,965 $1,965

39.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$16.0K $16.0K

90.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$44.27 $44.27

78.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$56.8 $56.8

-4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$87.9 $87.9

44.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$102 $102

55.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,356 $2,356

6.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,968 $1,968

-1.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$4,211 $4,211

21.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,684 $3,684

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,608 $3,608

104.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,238 $3,238

54.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,137 $6,137

5.42%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Hackensack, 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%

Hackensack, NJ

$2K 58.1% 1.5% $29

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Hackensack, NJ

$423 12.5% 22.7% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Hackensack, NJ

$316 9.3% 31.6% $146

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Hackensack, NJ

$377 11.1% 7.3% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Hackensack, NJ

$131 3.9% 30.5% $58

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hackensack, NJ

$87 2.6% 32.4% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Hackensack, NJ

$85 2.5% 24.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 5% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $98 in Hackensack, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $423 per month, with Hackensack, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

00:20 12:20 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

44,756

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Seattle, WA vs Hackensack, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hackensack, NJ wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Hackensack, NJ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,965 in Hackensack, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Hackensack, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Hackensack, NJ delivers better value at $3,387 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Hackensack, NJ hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Hackensack, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.