Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Bedford, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bedford, MA: $2,753 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 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
133

Cost of Living Index in New Bedford, MA
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New Bedford, MA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

New Bedford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in New Bedford, MA

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 New Bedford, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,753 in New Bedford, MA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
New Bedford, MA $2,753

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,820 in New Bedford, MA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
New Bedford, MA $3,820

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,887 in New Bedford, MA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
New Bedford, MA $4,887

Seattle, WA costs about 37% more than New Bedford, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and New Bedford, MA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, New Bedford, MA by 103%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.68 $19.68

24.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$59.1 $59.1

66.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$5.95 $5.95

148.57%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.11 $4.11

58.64%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.31 $2.31

39.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.23 $1.23

157.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.04 $6.04

29.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.08 $4.08

96.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.01 $1.01

19.80%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.58 $4.58

12.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$16.26 $16.26

-62.79%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$6.42 $6.42

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.57 $10.57

81.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.74 $10.74

76.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.16 $19.16

21.66%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.38 $5.38

11.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$4.47 $4.47

-56.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.38 $3.38

55.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.01 $3.01

118.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.22 $2.22

63.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.41 $2.41

37.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.75 $2.75

1.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.88 $2.88

-12.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.07 $13.07

-6.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$16.85 $16.85

-11.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.92 $1.92

119.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.84 $2.84

103.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$6.12 $6.12

-56.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.20 $2.20

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.09 $1.09

36.70%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.2K $28.2K

27.40%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.26%

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

$302 $302

$181 $181

66.56%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$36.85 $36.85

90.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$58.6 $58.6

45.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$28.95 $28.95

168.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.43 $12.43

43.52%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,133 $2,133

39.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$38.67 $38.67

97.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$16.01 $16.01

237.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$99.5 $99.5

28.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,869 $1,869

30.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,581 $1,581

23.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,615 $2,615

81.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,341 $2,341

48.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,641 $4,641

40.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.42

27.12%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for New Bedford, MA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

New Bedford, MA

$1.6K 57.5% 18.8% $365

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

New Bedford, MA

$478 17.4% 12.4% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1% 39.5% $181

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

New Bedford, MA

$277 10.1% 30.7% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

New Bedford, MA

$69 * 2.5% 63.5% $121

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

New Bedford, MA

$17 * 0.6% 86.8% $112

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

New Bedford, MA

$54 2% 52.6% $60

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,869 in New Bedford, MA. 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 40% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $59.0 in New Bedford, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $478 – making New Bedford, MA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Bedford, MA

🕒 Local time

01:48 1:48 AM

04:48 4:48 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

92,538

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA New Bedford, MA 4,050 km ≈ 6 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 New Bedford, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA, $2,753 in New Bedford, MA – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,130 in New Bedford, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Bedford, MA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA and $59.0 in New Bedford, MA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 14% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,753 in New Bedford, MA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,753 in New Bedford, MA to $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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