Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Rutherford, NJ: $2,718 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Rutherford, NJ
Learn more

Rutherford, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Rutherford, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,718

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,782 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,718 in Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Rutherford, NJ $2,718

A couple spends around $5,636 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,032 in Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Rutherford, NJ $4,032

A family of three spends $7,489 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,347 in Rutherford, NJ, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Rutherford, NJ $5,347

Seattle, WA costs about 39% more than Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Seattle, WA and Rutherford, NJ sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Rutherford, NJ by 101%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$18.96 $18.96

29.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$79.5 $79.5

23.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.09 $12.09

22.33%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.62 $5.62

16.01%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.43 $2.43

32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.52 $1.52

108.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.22 $8.22

-4.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.91 $6.91

16.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.32 $1.32

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.43 $3.43

49.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.02 $6.02

0.50%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$6.22 $6.22

-21.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.79 $13.79

39.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.33 $10.33

83.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$20.21 $20.21

15.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.87 $5.87

2.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.59 $3.59

-46.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.33 $4.33

21.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.24 $5.24

25.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.01 $3.01

20.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.99 $2.99

10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.62 $2.62

6.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.43 $2.43

3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.02 $15.02

-18.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.03 $15.03

-1.33%

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

$3.27 $3.27

76.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.13 $2.13

38.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.06 $3.06

-13.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.15 $2.15

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.07 $42.07

-29.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.11 $1.11

34.23%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$28.0K $28.0K

27.99%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.21%

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

$302 $302

$169 $169

78.94%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$50.1 $50.1

39.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$49.92 $49.92

70.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.71 $42.71

82.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$19.78 $19.78

-9.81%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,026 $2,026

46.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$15.8K $15.8K

97.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$49.70 $49.70

54.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$76.7 $76.7

-29.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.5 $87.5

46.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$102 $102

60.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,675 $1,675

45.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,431 $1,431

36.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,426 $2,426

95.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,416 $2,416

43.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,581 $2,581

185.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,609 $2,609

96.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.7

2.84%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Rutherford, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Rutherford, NJ

$1.4K 52.7% 26.5% $516

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Rutherford, NJ

$445 16.4% 18.5% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Rutherford, NJ

$269 9.9% 41.2% $189

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Rutherford, NJ

$326 12% 18.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Rutherford, NJ

$142 5.2% 25.3% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Rutherford, NJ

$22 * 0.8% 82.7% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Rutherford, NJ

$82 3% 27.5% $31

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 $1,675 in Rutherford, NJ. 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 $80.0 in Rutherford, NJ. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $445 – making Rutherford, NJ the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Rutherford, NJ

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

03:37 3:37 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

17,871

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
Rutherford, NJ

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 Rutherford, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 39% more than Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA and $4,076 in Rutherford, NJ. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rutherford, NJ, 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 $80.0 in Rutherford, NJ. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% 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.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,718 in Rutherford, NJ. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Rutherford, NJ costs $2,718 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Rutherford, 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.