Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Paltz, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in New Paltz, NY: $2,667 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 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
127

Cost of Living Index in New Paltz, NY
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New Paltz, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

New Paltz, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,667 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
New Paltz, NY $2,667

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,914 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
New Paltz, NY $3,914

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,160 in New Paltz, NY, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
New Paltz, NY $5,160

Seattle, WA costs about 42% more than New Paltz, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and New Paltz, NY sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, New Paltz, NY by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.24 $19.24

31.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$78.4 $78.4

28.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$13.25 $13.25

11.40%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.21 $6.21

4.67%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.49 $2.49

28.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.53 $1.53

105.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.93 $8.93

-10.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.98 $6.98

16.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.31 $1.31

-10.69%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.38 $4.38

21.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$6.15 $6.15

4.07%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$6.96 $6.96

-27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.12 $14.12

32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.16 $10.16

84.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$19.60 $19.60

16.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.87 $5.87

3.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.59 $3.59

-45.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.40 $4.40

25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.36 $5.36

21.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.06 $3.06

14.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.01 $3.01

9.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.14 $3.14

-10.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.75 $14.75

-15.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.91 $14.91

-0.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.86 $1.86

125.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.49 $3.49

66.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.94 $1.94

57.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$60.7 $60.7

74.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.07 $3.07

-15.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.21 $2.21

-25.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$42.40 $42.40

-28.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.00 $1.00

41.00%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.9K $27.9K

31.87%

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

$173 $173

77.89%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$51.2 $51.2

35.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$51.0 $51.0

68.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$41.21 $41.21

85.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$8.98 $8.98

100.67%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,991 $1,991

37.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$16.0K $16.0K

91.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$50.4 $50.4

57.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$41.69 $41.69

30.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$85.5 $85.5

48.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$104 $104

52.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,412 $1,412

77.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,315 $1,315

47.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,509 $2,509

103.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,113 $2,113

67.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,731 $2,731

170.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,400 $2,400

108.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.8

1.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for New Paltz, 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%

New Paltz, NY

$1.3K 49.3% 32.2% $624

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

New Paltz, NY

$466 17.5% 14.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

New Paltz, NY

$275 10.3% 40.6% $188

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

New Paltz, NY

$343 12.9% 15.6% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

New Paltz, NY

$127 4.8% 32.8% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

New Paltz, NY

$83 3.1% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

New Paltz, NY

$59 2.2% 47.4% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,412 in New Paltz, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $78 in New Paltz, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $466 – making New Paltz, NY the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 New Paltz, NY

🕒 Local time

22:14 10:14 PM

01:14 1:14 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

14,407

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA New Paltz, NY 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Seattle, WA costs about 42% more than New Paltz, NY, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,001 in New Paltz, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Paltz, NY, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,412 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $78 in New Paltz, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,667 in New Paltz, NY. That makes New Paltz, NY about 30% cheaper.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,667 in New Paltz, NY. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward New Paltz, NY – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, New Paltz, NY is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.