Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hempstead, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Hempstead, NY: $1,474 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
71

Cost of Living Index in Hempstead, NY
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Hempstead, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Hempstead, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Hempstead, NY

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 Hempstead, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,474 in Hempstead, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Hempstead, NY $1,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,319 in Hempstead, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Hempstead, NY $2,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,164 in Hempstead, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Hempstead, NY $3,164

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 157% more expensive than in Hempstead, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Hempstead, NY 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.94 $19.94

26.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.1 $76.1

32.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.73 $12.73

15.95%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.14 $5.14

26.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.91 $2.91

10.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.33 $2.33

34.76%

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

$8.20 $8.20

-0.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.26 $1.26

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.65 $1.65

221.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.45 $2.45

161.22%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.62 $3.62

39.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$9.56 $9.56

95.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.17 $12.17

53.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$12.13 $12.13

88.62%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$2.98 $2.98

103.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 $1.53

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$1.80 $1.80

206.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.67 $5.67

14.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.88 $2.88

21.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.63 $2.63

25.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.56 $2.56

9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.48 $2.48

4.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.96 $11.96

4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.17 $15.17

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.32 $2.32

80.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.42 $4.42

31.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.93 $2.93

4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$130 $130

-18.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.89 $2.89

-10.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.63 $0.63

160.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.40 $24.40

23.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.14 $1.14

23.68%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$31.7K $31.7K

16.04%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.02%

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

$308 $308

$230 $230

33.72%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$64.4 $64.4

7.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$66.9 $66.9

28.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$112 $112

-31.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.88 $14.88

21.10%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,082 $2,082

31.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$42.5K $42.5K

-27.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$48.96 $48.96

61.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.40 $44.40

22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$102 $102

23.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$141 $141

12.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.66

3.45%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Hempstead, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Hempstead, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Hempstead, NY

$344 23.3% 37.2% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Hempstead, NY

$361 24.5% 21.9% $101

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Hempstead, NY

$327 22.2% 19.5% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Hempstead, NY

$152 10.3% 19.6% $37

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hempstead, NY

$148 10.1% 14.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Hempstead, NY

$142 9.6% 26.1% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Hempstead, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $344 per month, with Hempstead, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Hempstead, NY

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

17:57 5:57 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

793,409

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Hempstead, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Hempstead, NY

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hempstead, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $1,474 in Hempstead, NY, so Hempstead, NY is about 61% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $2,210 in Hempstead, NY 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Hempstead, NY – a meal for two runs $76 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,474 in Hempstead, NY versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Hempstead, NY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Hempstead, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.