Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Long Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Seattle, WA: $3,785 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Long Island, NY outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Long Island, NY $4,225

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,930 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Long Island, NY $5,930

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $7,634 in Long Island, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Long Island, NY $7,634

Seattle, WA is about 10% cheaper than Long Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Long Island, NY sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Long Island, NY by 210%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.14 $25.14

0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.5 $98.5

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.99 $10.99

34.30%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.08 $5.08

27.95%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.14 $2.14

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.58 $1.58

98.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.02 $8.02

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.91 $7.91

2.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.32 $1.32

-11.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.26 $4.26

24.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.94 $1.94

229.90%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.26 $5.26

-3.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$7.21 $7.21

159.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$11.89 $11.89

57.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.22 $16.22

41.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.27 $4.27

41.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.20 $1.20

62.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$2.07 $2.07

166.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.16 $6.16

5.84%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.07 $1.07

226.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.18 $2.18

50.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.48 $1.48

89.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.85 $2.85

-9.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.85 $11.85

5.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$17.58 $17.58

-15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 $1.76

138.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.09 $4.09

41.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.97 $2.97

2.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$130 $130

-18.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.99 $2.99

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.41 $24.41

23.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.11 $1.11

27.03%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

33.86%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.19%

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

$308 $308

$192 $192

60.41%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$48.26 $48.26

43.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$53.7 $53.7

60.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$31.30 $31.30

144.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$102 $102

-65.16%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.69 $14.69

22.67%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,444 $2,444

12.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.5K $23.5K

29.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$40.07 $40.07

97.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$56.7 $56.7

-4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$76.3 $76.3

66.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$155 $155

2.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$3,189 $3,189

-21.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,820 $2,820

-31.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,670 $5,670

-9.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$4,315 $4,315

-17.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$5,973 $5,973

23.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$4,241 $4,241

17.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$4,981 $4,981

29.90%

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 Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8% 45.5% $882

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Long Island, NY

$382 9% 30.2% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Long Island, NY

$294 7% 36.5% $169

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7% 9.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5% 21.6% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7% 19.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4% 46.1% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $3,189 in Long Island, 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 30% higher in Seattle, WA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $99 in Long Island, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $382 – making Long Island, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🕒 Local time

23:37 11:37 PM

02:37 2:37 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

7,804,968

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Long Island, NY 3,930 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA, $4,225 in Long Island, NY – Seattle, WA comes out roughly 10% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $6,337 in Long Island, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Seattle, WA, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $2,508 there versus $3,189 in Long Island, NY.

Public transport costs about 18% less in Seattle, WA. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Long Island, NY – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $4,225 in Long Island, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Seattle, WA costs $3,785 versus $4,225 in Long Island, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.