Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston, NY: $3,082 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Kingston, NY
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Kingston, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Kingston, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,082 in Kingston, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Kingston, NY $3,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,513 in Kingston, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Kingston, NY $4,513

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,943 in Kingston, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Kingston, NY $5,943

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 23% more expensive than in Kingston, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Kingston, NY 126% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.17 $25.17

0.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$78.5 $78.5

28.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.86 $14.86

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.17 $6.17

5.35%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.67 $2.67

20.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.36 $2.36

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.11 $8.11

-1.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.93 $8.93

-8.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.98 $0.98

19.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.72 $4.72

12.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.59 $6.59

-2.88%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.48 $4.48

12.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$15.84 $15.84

18.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.65 $10.65

75.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.20 $17.20

33.02%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.80 $4.80

26.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 $1.27

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.73 $4.73

16.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.74 $6.74

-3.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.77 $3.77

-7.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.39 $3.39

-2.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.54 $2.54

10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.86 $1.86

38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$16.96 $16.96

-26.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.17 $15.17

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.94 $1.94

115.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.48 $3.48

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.09 $2.09

45.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$61.1 $61.1

73.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.19 $3.19

-19.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.82 $1.82

-9.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$26.48 $26.48

13.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.90 $0.90

56.67%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$31.5K $31.5K

17.00%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.35%

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

$308 $308

$210 $210

46.22%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$67.2 $67.2

2.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$79.0 $79.0

8.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$43.10 $43.10

77.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$58.9 $58.9

-39.77%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.95 $14.95

20.54%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,452 $2,452

11.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.2K $23.2K

31.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$49.02 $49.02

61.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$29.80 $29.80

82.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$81.9 $81.9

54.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$77.3 $77.3

105.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,861 $1,861

34.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,630 $1,630

18.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,292 $3,292

55.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,715 $2,715

30.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,221 $3,221

128.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,238 $3,238

54.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,109 $3,109

108.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Kingston, 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%

Kingston, NY

$1.6K 52.9% 15.9% $309

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Kingston, NY

$435 14.1% 20.4% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Kingston, NY

$357 11.6% 23% $106

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Kingston, NY

$399 12.9% 1.9% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Kingston, NY

$107 3.5% 43.2% $82

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Kingston, NY

$82 2.7% 36.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Kingston, NY

$73 2.4% 35.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,861 in Kingston, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Kingston, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $435 per month, with Kingston, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Kingston, NY

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

09:01 9:01 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

23,436

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Kingston, NY 3,800 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Kingston, NY is about 19% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.1 times higher, 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 $1,861 in Kingston, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $3,082 in Kingston, NY – Kingston, NY is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kingston, NY runs roughly 42% 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. Kingston, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Kingston, NY is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kingston, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.