Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Haven, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in New Haven, CT: $2,467 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,800 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
120

Cost of Living Index in New Haven, CT
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New Haven, CT Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

New Haven, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,467

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in New Haven, CT

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 Haven, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,467 in New Haven, CT.

Seattle, WA $3,782
New Haven, CT $2,467

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,066 in New Haven, CT.

Seattle, WA $5,636
New Haven, CT $4,066

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,665 in New Haven, CT.

Seattle, WA $7,489
New Haven, CT $5,665

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 53% more expensive than in New Haven, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, New Haven, CT 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.82 $19.82

23.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$75.9 $75.9

29.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.98 $12.98

13.94%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.10 $5.10

27.84%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.13 $2.13

51.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.58 $1.58

100.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.91 $5.91

32.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.89 $7.89

1.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.05 $1.05

15.24%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.39 $4.39

17.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.39 $7.39

-18.13%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.81 $5.81

-16.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$10.68 $10.68

79.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.49 $10.49

80.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$17.09 $17.09

36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.34 $5.34

12.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.72 $1.72

12.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.34 $3.34

57.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.05 $3.05

115.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.15 $2.15

68.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.45 $2.45

35.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.72 $2.72

2.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.84 $2.84

-11.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.87 $11.87

2.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.13 $17.13

-13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.74 $1.74

142.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.79 $2.79

106.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.73 $1.73

70.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$63.0 $63.0

68.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.93 $2.93

-9.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.02 $2.02

-14.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.21 $24.21

22.76%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

30.53%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.9K $25.9K

1.17%

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

$302 $302

$176 $176

71.71%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$36.44 $36.44

92.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$57.6 $57.6

47.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$31.68 $31.68

145.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.68 $12.68

40.69%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,177 $2,177

36.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$24.1K $24.1K

29.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$38.10 $38.10

100.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$16.58 $16.58

226.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$76.6 $76.6

67.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$159 $159

3.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,844 $1,844

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,195 $1,195

62.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$4,141 $4,141

14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,825 $2,825

22.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$3,021 $3,021

143.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,657 $2,657

92.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,102 $4,102

58.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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 Haven, CT: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

New Haven, CT

$1.2K 48.4% 38.6% $752

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

New Haven, CT

$413 16.8% 24.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

New Haven, CT

$270 10.9% 41% $187

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

New Haven, CT

$319 12.9% 20.2% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

New Haven, CT

$131 5.3% 31.4% $60

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

New Haven, CT

$83 3.4% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

New Haven, CT

$57 2.3% 49.7% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,844 in New Haven, CT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 59% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in New Haven, CT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $413 per month, with New Haven, CT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Haven, CT

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

03:18 3:18 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

124,001

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA New Haven, CT 3,910 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 New Haven, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and New Haven, CT differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,467 including rent). New Haven, CT is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 59% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,844 in New Haven, CT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in New Haven, CT – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,467 in New Haven, CT – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. New Haven, CT 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.

Expats usually find New Haven, CT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.