Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: $2,629 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
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Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Parsippany-Troy Hills, 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $2,629

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,942 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $3,942

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,256 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ $5,256

Seattle, WA costs about 44% more than Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$15.15 $15.15

61.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$69.4 $69.4

41.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$11.78 $11.78

25.55%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.60 $4.60

41.74%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.57 $2.57

25.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.46 $1.46

117.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.65 $7.65

2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.17 $7.17

11.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.32 $4.32

18.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.62 $2.62

130.92%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.45 $3.45

41.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.16 $13.16

45.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$6.58 $6.58

187.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.45 $14.45

61.31%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.59 $2.59

131.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.18 $1.18

63.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.57 $2.57

104.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.83 $2.83

132.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.22 $2.22

63.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.19 $2.19

51.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.98 $0.98

183.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.52 $0.52

382.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.16 $11.16

9.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.85 $14.85

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.77 $1.77

138.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.02 $2.02

185.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.90 $3.90

-24.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$70.8 $70.8

49.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.02 $2.02

31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.20 $2.20

-21.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.11 $42.11

-29.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.94 $0.94

58.51%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

29.62%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

3.40%

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

$302 $302

$175 $175

72.97%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$44.70 $44.70

56.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$39.42 $39.42

116.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$24.62 $24.62

216.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.06 $12.06

47.93%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,972 $1,972

50.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$15.8K $15.8K

98.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$32.13 $32.13

138.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.76 $47.76

13.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.8 $87.8

45.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$134 $134

22.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,841 $1,841

32.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,503 $1,503

29.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,358 $3,358

41.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,749 $2,749

26.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,975 $2,975

147.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,448 $2,448

109.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$7,257 $7,257

-10.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.35

8.50%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$1.5K 57.2% 22.8% $444

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$303 11.5% 44.5% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$259 9.8% 43.4% $199

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$280 10.7% 29.8% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$136 5.2% 28.5% $54

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$99 3.8% 23% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

$49 1.9% 57.1% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,841 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 12% higher in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $98.0 in Seattle, WA versus $69.0 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $303 – making Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

53,238

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ 3,830 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 Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 44%, 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 $3,943 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 50% less in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,973 per month in Seattle, WA and $1,972 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,629 in Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ. 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.