Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Oyster Bay, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Oyster Bay, NY: $2,789 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Oyster Bay, NY
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Oyster Bay, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Oyster Bay, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,789

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,789 in Oyster Bay, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Oyster Bay, NY $2,789

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $4,148 in Oyster Bay, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Oyster Bay, NY $4,148

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,507 in Oyster Bay, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Oyster Bay, NY $5,507

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 35% more expensive than in Oyster Bay, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Oyster Bay, NY 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$24.67 $24.67

-3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$101 $101

-2.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$13.09 $13.09

14.13%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.43 $5.43

25.05%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.24 $2.24

44.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.58 $1.58

99.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$9.14 $9.14

-10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.11 $8.11

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.30 $1.30

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.25 $4.25

24.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$6.05 $6.05

-4.79%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$5.98 $5.98

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$14.16 $14.16

43.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.24 $10.24

75.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$20.11 $20.11

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.45 $5.45

8.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.74 $1.74

8.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.24 $4.24

26.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.26 $5.26

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.98 $2.98

13.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.36 $3.36

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.92 $2.92

-1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.93 $2.93

-17.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.67 $11.67

4.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.13 $15.13

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.77 $1.77

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.56 $3.56

65.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.29 $2.29

29.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$66.8 $66.8

63.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.95 $2.95

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.10 $2.10

-18.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$23.60 $23.60

25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.16 $1.16

30.17%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.8K $27.8K

30.06%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.5K $26.5K

-2.92%

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

$289 $289

$216 $216

33.38%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$74.3 $74.3

-7.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.1 $66.1

28.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$39.46 $39.46

75.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$15.24 $15.24

17.91%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,732 $1,732

62.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$20.5K $20.5K

114.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$49.05 $49.05

85.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$58.5 $58.5

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$88.2 $88.2

44.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$148 $148

9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,588 $1,588

62.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,292 $1,292

50.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,544 $2,544

100.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,107 $2,107

68.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$2,751 $2,751

167.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,351 $2,351

109.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$6,945 $6,945

-7.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.72

1.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Oyster Bay, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Oyster Bay, NY

$1.3K 46.3% 33.5% $650

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Oyster Bay, NY

$447 16% 17.7% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Oyster Bay, NY

$357 12.8% 19.4% $86

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Oyster Bay, NY

$379 13.6% 5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Oyster Bay, NY

$155 5.6% 21% $41

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Oyster Bay, NY

$89 3.2% 32.4% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Oyster Bay, NY

$70 2.5% 33.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oyster Bay, NY pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $101 in Oyster Bay, NY. Groceries flip the comparison at $544 vs $447, with Oyster Bay, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Oyster Bay, NY

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

09:43 9:43 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

301,332

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Oyster Bay, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Oyster Bay, NY

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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 Oyster Bay, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oyster Bay, NY is about 26% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Seattle, WA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,588 in Oyster Bay, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $1,732 in Oyster Bay, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Oyster Bay, NY runs roughly 39% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Oyster Bay, NY 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.