Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Islip, NY: $1,259 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $30,300 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Islip, NY
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Islip, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Islip, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $1,259 in Islip, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Islip, NY $1,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $2,207 in Islip, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Islip, NY $2,207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $3,154 in Islip, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Islip, NY $3,154

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 201% more expensive than in Islip, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Seattle, WA is 178% above, Islip, NY is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$26.10 $26.10

-3.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$122 $122

-17.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.05 $14.05

5.05%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.14 $5.14

26.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.85 $2.85

12.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.28 $2.28

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.77 $7.77

2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$10.17 $10.17

-20.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.39 $1.39

-15.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.54 $4.54

16.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.05 $4.05

58.02%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.02 $5.02

0.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$18.69 $18.69

0.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$17.41 $17.41

7.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.45 $16.45

39.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.47 $4.47

35.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.29 $1.29

51.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.17 $2.17

153.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.91 $2.91

124.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.78 $1.78

96.07%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.17 $2.17

51.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.53 $1.53

83.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.10 $1.10

134.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.94 $14.94

-16.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.96 $12.96

14.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.35 $2.35

78.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.76 $3.76

54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.37 $4.37

-30.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.98 $2.98

-13.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.20 $2.20

-25.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$41.26 $41.26

-27.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

31.69%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-0.29%

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

$308 $308

$80.2 $80.2

283.75%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$71.2 $71.2

-2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$69.8 $69.8

23.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$59.6 $59.6

28.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.83 $15.83

13.83%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$3,537 $3,537

-22.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$61.6K $61.6K

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$44.55 $44.55

77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$27.92 $27.92

94.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$75.0 $75.0

69.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$91.4 $91.4

73.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,989 $1,989

26.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,382 $3,382

51.31%

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

$3,975 $3,975

62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.63

3.92%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Islip, 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%

Islip, NY

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Islip, NY

$416 33% 24% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Islip, NY

$221 17.6% 52.2% $242

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Islip, NY

$392 31.2% 3.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Islip, NY

$107 8.5% 43% $81

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Islip, NY

$31 * 2.5% 75.6% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Islip, NY

$91 7.3% 18.9% $21

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,989 in Islip, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 63% 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 $122 in Islip, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $547 vs $416, with Islip, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Islip, NY

🕒 Local time

07:24 7:24 AM

10:24 10:24 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

339,938

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Seattle, WA Islip, NY 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Islip, 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 Islip, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Islip, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. The 201% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% 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 $1,989 in Islip, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $3,537 in Islip, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $101 versus $122 in Islip, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,259 in Islip, NY versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Islip, NY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Islip, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Islip, NY wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.