Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Jersey City, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Jersey City, NJ: $3,625 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Seattle, WA despite lower rent and utilities.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
174

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Jersey City, NJ $3,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $5,285 in Jersey City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Jersey City, NJ $5,285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $6,944 in Jersey City, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Jersey City, NJ $6,944

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 4% more expensive than in Jersey City, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Jersey City, NJ 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$24.75 $24.75

2.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.7 $98.7

2.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.98 $10.98

34.43%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.58 $5.58

16.49%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.23 $2.23

43.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.54 $1.54

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.10 $8.10

-1.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.77 $7.77

4.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.33 $1.33

-12.03%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.17 $4.17

27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$7.42 $7.42

-13.75%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.86 $5.86

-13.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$12.46 $12.46

50.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.03 $12.03

55.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.95 $16.95

34.99%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.33 $5.33

13.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.72 $1.72

13.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$6.14 $6.14

-10.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.30 $6.30

3.49%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$5.66 $5.66

-38.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.86 $3.86

-14.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.79 $2.79

0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.96 $2.96

-12.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.88 $11.88

5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$24.89 $24.89

-40.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.69 $1.69

147.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.30 $5.30

9.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.08 $3.08

-0.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$87.5 $87.5

21.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.08 $2.08

-21.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$23.92 $23.92

25.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.12 $1.12

25.89%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

30.82%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

-0.12%

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

$308 $308

$209 $209

47.17%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$73.0 $73.0

-5.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$66.2 $66.2

30.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$55.8 $55.8

37.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$43.70 $43.70

-18.76%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.21 $14.21

26.81%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,414 $2,414

13.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.3K $23.3K

31.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$41.18 $41.18

92.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$57.6 $57.6

-5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$76.7 $76.7

65.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$154 $154

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,670 $3,670

-31.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,073 $2,073

-6.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,889 $5,889

-13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$3,397 $3,397

4.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$8,299 $8,299

-11.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$5,602 $5,602

-10.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$6,101 $6,101

6.04%

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 Jersey City, 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%

Jersey City, NJ

$2.1K 57.2% 6.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Jersey City, NJ

$490 13.5% 10.5% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Jersey City, NJ

$348 9.6% 24.8% $115

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Jersey City, NJ

$369 10.2% 9.2% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Jersey City, NJ

$148 4.1% 21.4% $40

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Jersey City, NJ

$113 3.1% 12.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Jersey City, NJ

$84 2.3% 25.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 6% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $99 in Jersey City, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $490 per month, with Jersey City, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

00:28 12:28 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

292,449

💱 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 Jersey City, NJ 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Jersey City, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jersey City, NJ is about 4% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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 $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,414 in Jersey City, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Jersey City, NJ runs roughly 17% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Jersey City, NJ 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.

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