Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Ithaca, NY: $2,893 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Ithaca, NY $2,893

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,843 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Ithaca, NY $3,843

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Ithaca, NY $4,792

Seattle, WA costs about 31% more than Ithaca, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Ithaca, NY sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Ithaca, NY by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$22.77 $22.77

11.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$79.3 $79.3

27.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.83 $10.83

36.29%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.09 $5.09

27.70%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.63 $2.63

22.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.04 $2.04

53.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.06 $5.06

57.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.39 $9.39

-13.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.02 $1.02

14.71%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.21 $3.21

65.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.09 $7.09

-9.73%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.96 $3.96

27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.66 $14.66

27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$6.50 $6.50

188.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.45 $15.45

48.09%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.85 $4.85

24.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.68 $1.68

16.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.45 $5.45

1.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.82 $4.82

35.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.15 $3.15

10.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-11.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.29 $2.29

22.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.06 $2.06

25.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.69 $14.69

-14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.20 $14.20

4.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.85 $1.85

126.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.00 $4.00

45.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.54 $1.54

98.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$45.49 $45.49

132.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.98 $4.98

-48.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.42 $1.42

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$29.46 $29.46

2.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.06 $1.06

33.02%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

35.53%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.06%

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

$308 $308

$167 $167

84.09%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$46.41 $46.41

49.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$50.5 $50.5

70.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$34.65 $34.65

120.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$10.82 $10.82

66.54%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,518 $1,518

80.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$16.9K $16.9K

80.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$47.25 $47.25

67.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$39.06 $39.06

39.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.2 $81.2

56.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$107 $107

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,256 $2,256

11.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,661 $1,661

16.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,044 $3,044

68.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,997 $1,997

77.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,681 $2,681

175.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,035 $2,035

145.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,468 $3,468

86.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.46

6.66%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ithaca, 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%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 57.4% 14.3% $277

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Ithaca, NY

$386 13.3% 29.4% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Ithaca, NY

$264 9.1% 43% $199

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Ithaca, NY

$339 11.7% 16.7% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Ithaca, NY

$124 4.3% 34.5% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Ithaca, NY

$64 2.2% 50.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Ithaca, NY

$56 2% 50% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 87% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $79 in Ithaca, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $386 – making Ithaca, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

16:41 4:41 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

22,283

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Ithaca, NY 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Ithaca, NY

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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 Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $2,893 in Ithaca, NY – Ithaca, NY comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,340 in Ithaca, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ithaca, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,256 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $79 in Ithaca, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,893 in Ithaca, NY. That makes Ithaca, NY about 24% cheaper.

Families tend to lean toward Ithaca, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ithaca, NY. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.