Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Queensbury, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Queensbury, NY: $2,475 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
121

Cost of Living Index in Queensbury, NY
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Queensbury, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Queensbury, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,475

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,475 in Queensbury, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Queensbury, NY $2,475

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,541 in Queensbury, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Queensbury, NY $3,541

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $4,606 in Queensbury, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Queensbury, NY $4,606

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 53% more expensive than in Queensbury, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Queensbury, NY 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$16.06 $16.06

57.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$32.63 $32.63

209.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$7.56 $7.56

95.24%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.15 $5.15

26.21%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.76 $2.76

16.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.52 $2.52

24.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.83 $5.83

36.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.85 $8.85

-8.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.82 $3.82

38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.45 $4.45

43.82%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$6.16 $6.16

-17.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$10.74 $10.74

74.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.68 $10.68

75.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$18.70 $18.70

22.35%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.40 $5.40

12.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.58 $1.58

23.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.33 $3.33

65.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.11 $3.11

109.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.25 $2.25

55.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.37 $2.37

38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.77 $2.77

1.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.83 $2.83

-8.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$13.79 $13.79

-9.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.91 $16.91

-12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.82 $1.82

130.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.75 $2.75

110.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.14 $2.14

42.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$58.9 $58.9

79.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.93 $5.93

-56.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.99 $1.99

-17.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$28.79 $28.79

4.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.08 $1.08

30.56%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

32.77%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.13%

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

$308 $308

$178 $178

72.97%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$37.55 $37.55

84.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$59.5 $59.5

44.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$37.38 $37.38

104.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$11.08 $11.08

62.64%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,151 $2,151

27.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$23.9K $23.9K

27.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$39.21 $39.21

101.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$16.38 $16.38

231.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$99.8 $99.8

27.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$104 $104

53.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,580 $1,580

58.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,259 $1,259

54.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,548 $2,548

100.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,100 $2,100

68.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,911 $2,911

153.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$2,127 $2,127

135.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.51

5.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Queensbury, NY: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Queensbury, NY

$1.3K 50.8% 35.1% $680

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Queensbury, NY

$402 16.2% 26.6% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Queensbury, NY

$275 11.1% 40.6% $188

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Queensbury, NY

$281 11.4% 30.9% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Queensbury, NY

$117 4.7% 38.2% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Queensbury, NY

$83 3.4% 35.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Queensbury, NY

$60 2.4% 47.1% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,580 in Queensbury, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $33 in Queensbury, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $402 per month, with Queensbury, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Queensbury, NY

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

29,169

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Queensbury, NY 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Queensbury, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,475 in Queensbury, NY, so Queensbury, NY is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $3,713 in Queensbury, NY to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,580 in Queensbury, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,151 in Queensbury, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,475 in Queensbury, NY versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Queensbury, NY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Queensbury, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Queensbury, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.