Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Newton, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Newton, IA: $1,921 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
93

Cost of Living Index in Newton, IA
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Newton, IA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Newton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Newton, IA

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 Newton, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,921 in Newton, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Newton, IA $1,921

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,851 in Newton, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Newton, IA $2,851

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,780 in Newton, IA, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Newton, IA $3,780

Seattle, WA costs about 97% more than Newton, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Newton, IA sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Newton, IA by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.69 $19.69

24.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$61.6 $61.6

59.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.62 $10.62

39.27%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.95 $4.95

31.72%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.61 $2.61

23.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.91 $1.91

65.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.10 $5.10

53.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.61 $7.61

5.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.90 $0.90

34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.22 $3.22

59.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.24 $4.24

42.69%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.74 $2.74

78.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$6.68 $6.68

187.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.62 $12.62

49.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.80 $16.80

38.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.36 $5.36

11.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.06 $2.06

-6.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.73 $4.73

10.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.34 $4.34

51.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.86 $1.86

94.62%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.89 $2.89

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 $2.00

39.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.87 $2.87

-12.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$9.19 $9.19

32.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$9.90 $9.90

49.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.81 $1.81

133.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$5.84 $5.84

-1.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.19 $2.19

34.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.03 $3.03

-12.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.39 $1.39

23.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.81 $24.81

19.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 $1.05

41.90%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$32.1K $32.1K

11.79%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

7.04%

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

$302 $302

$182 $182

66.25%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$62.8 $62.8

11.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$67.1 $67.1

27.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$73.8 $73.8

5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$14.78 $14.78

20.70%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$998 $998

197.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$19.6K $19.6K

59.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$17.97 $17.97

326.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$14.75 $14.75

266.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$80.8 $80.8

58.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$99.4 $99.4

65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$842 $842

190.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$707 $707

175.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,443 $1,443

228.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,147 $1,147

202.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,734 $2,734

169.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,560 $2,560

100.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Newton, IA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Newton, IA

$707 36.8% 63.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Newton, IA

$377 19.6% 31% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Newton, IA

$311 16.2% 31.9% $146

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Newton, IA

$308 16% 23.1% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Newton, IA

$96 5% 49.7% $94

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Newton, IA

$19 * 1% 85.5% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Newton, IA

$103 5.4% 9% $10

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 $842 in Newton, IA. 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 $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $62.0 in Newton, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $377 – making Newton, IA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Newton, IA

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

85,146

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Newton, IA 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Newton, IA

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 Newton, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,881 in Newton, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Newton, IA, 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 $62.0 in Newton, IA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Newton, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,921, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Newton, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Newton, IA. 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.