Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Newark, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Newark, NJ: $3,069 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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
149

Cost of Living Index in Newark, NJ
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Newark, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Newark, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,069

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Newark, NJ

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 Newark, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,069 in Newark, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Newark, NJ $3,069

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,584 in Newark, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Newark, NJ $4,584

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $6,098 in Newark, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Newark, NJ $6,098

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 23% more expensive than in Newark, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Newark, NJ 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$20.21 $20.21

21.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$98.7 $98.7

-0.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$14.21 $14.21

4.08%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.36 $6.36

2.52%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.73 $3.73

-13.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.47 $2.47

28.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.98 $7.98

-1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$9.97 $9.97

-19.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.37 $1.37

-11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.51 $4.51

13.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.53 $7.53

-19.65%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.90 $5.90

-17.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$7.22 $7.22

165.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$17.30 $17.30

9.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.10 $19.10

22.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.76 $6.76

-11.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.30 $2.30

-16.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.39 $6.39

-17.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.67 $6.67

-1.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.02 $4.02

-9.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.37 $4.37

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.76 $2.76

0.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.63 $2.63

-4.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.85 $11.85

2.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$19.62 $19.62

-24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.91 $1.91

120.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.73 $2.73

111.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$6.13 $6.13

-51.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$54.7 $54.7

94.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.03 $3.03

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.16 $2.16

-20.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.49 $42.49

-30.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.04 $1.04

43.27%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.3K $27.3K

31.38%

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

$213 $213

41.96%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$75.4 $75.4

-7.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$70.6 $70.6

20.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$29.52 $29.52

163.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$17.80 $17.80

94.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.72 $14.72

21.20%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,129 $2,129

39.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$61.3K $61.3K

-48.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$60.4 $60.4

26.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$27.55 $27.55

96.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$121 $121

5.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$138 $138

19.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$2,577 $2,577

-5.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,535 $1,535

26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$4,332 $4,332

9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,608 $2,608

33.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$5,702 $5,702

29.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$5,577 $5,577

-8.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,568 $3,568

82.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.68

3.14%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Newark, NJ: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Newark, NJ

$1.5K 50% 21.1% $411

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Newark, NJ

$502 16.4% 8% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Newark, NJ

$359 11.7% 21.6% $99

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Newark, NJ

$365 11.9% 8.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Newark, NJ

$156 5.1% 18% $34

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Newark, NJ

$93 3% 28% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Newark, NJ

$59 1.9% 48.1% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $2,577 in Newark, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 82% 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 $99.0 in Newark, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $546 vs $502, with Newark, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Newark, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:01 11:01 PM

02:01 2:01 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

311,549

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Newark, NJ 3,850 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Newark, NJ

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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 Newark, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Newark, NJ is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 23% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 82% 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 $2,577 in Newark, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Newark, NJ runs roughly 94% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $2,129 in Newark, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Newark, NJ 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 Newark, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.