Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Castle, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in New Castle, PA: $2,400 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 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
115

Cost of Living Index in New Castle, PA
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New Castle, PA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

New Castle, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,400

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in New Castle, PA

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 Castle, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,400 in New Castle, PA.

Seattle, WA $3,782
New Castle, PA $2,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,487 in New Castle, PA.

Seattle, WA $5,636
New Castle, PA $3,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,574 in New Castle, PA.

Seattle, WA $7,489
New Castle, PA $4,574

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 58% more expensive than in New Castle, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, New Castle, PA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$14.88 $14.88

64.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$55.9 $55.9

75.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.98 $11.98

23.46%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.26 $4.26

53.05%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.19 $2.19

47.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.52 $2.52

25.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.42 $3.42

129.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$3.01 $3.01

166.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.86 $0.86

40.70%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.40 $2.40

114.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.55 $6.55

-7.63%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.09 $3.09

57.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.08 $13.08

46.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.10 $10.10

87.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.36 $14.36

62.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.74 $3.74

60.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.65 $2.65

-27.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.88 $4.88

7.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.98 $4.98

31.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.30 $2.30

57.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.56 $4.56

-27.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.05 $2.05

35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.88 $1.88

33.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.19 $8.19

48.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$10.95 $10.95

35.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.17 $3.17

33.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.39 $3.39

70.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.77 $1.77

66.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.22 $3.22

-17.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.58 $1.58

8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$27.88 $27.88

6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.97 $0.97

53.61%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

31.43%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

-5.91%

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

$302 $302

$98.9 $98.9

205.29%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$54.1 $54.1

29.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$66.6 $66.6

28.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.78 $42.78

81.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.12 $15.12

17.99%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$201 $201

1377.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.6K $23.6K

32.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$47.70 $47.70

60.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$39.30 $39.30

37.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.2 $87.2

46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$142 $142

15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,615 $1,615

51.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,324 $1,324

46.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,523 $2,523

88.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,167 $2,167

60.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,823 $2,823

160.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,250 $2,250

127.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

7.03

-1.99%

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 Castle, PA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

New Castle, PA

$1.3K 55.2% 32% $622

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

New Castle, PA

$374 15.6% 31.4% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

New Castle, PA

$220 9.2% 52% $238

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

New Castle, PA

$248 10.3% 37.9% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

New Castle, PA

$142 5.9% 25.2% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

New Castle, PA

$18 * 0.8% 85.9% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

New Castle, PA

$73 3% 35.7% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,615 in New Castle, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $56.0 in New Castle, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $374 per month, with New Castle, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Castle, PA

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

05:33 5:33 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

21,926

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA New Castle, PA 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs New Castle, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Castle, PA is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,673 in Seattle, WA and $3,600 in New Castle, PA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,615 in New Castle, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $201 in New Castle, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in New Castle, PA – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. New Castle, PA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, New Castle, PA 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 New Castle, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.