Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Staten Island, NY: $2,998 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 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
146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,998 in Staten Island, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Staten Island, NY $2,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,498 in Staten Island, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Staten Island, NY $4,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,998 in Staten Island, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Staten Island, NY $5,998

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Staten Island, NY 121% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$23.72 $23.72

3.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$88.8 $88.8

10.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$13.47 $13.47

9.80%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.54 $6.54

-0.31%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.67 $2.67

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.64 $1.64

93.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.83 $7.83

0.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.17 $8.17

-1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.24 $1.24

-2.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.92 $4.92

4.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$6.76 $6.76

-10.50%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.84 $5.84

-16.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$17.44 $17.44

9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$14.00 $14.00

35.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$19.21 $19.21

21.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$6.79 $6.79

-11.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.49 $3.49

-44.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$6.09 $6.09

-13.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$6.81 $6.81

-3.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.09 $4.09

-11.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.30 $4.30

-23.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.85 $2.85

-11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$17.80 $17.80

-31.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.73 $14.73

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.76 $1.76

139.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.67 $3.67

57.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.98 $2.98

-1.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.02 $3.02

-12.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.21 $2.21

-22.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$42.69 $42.69

-30.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.15 $1.15

29.57%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$32.6K $32.6K

10.23%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.3K $26.3K

-0.14%

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

$302 $302

$213 $213

41.51%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$75.0 $75.0

-6.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$64.2 $64.2

32.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$115 $115

-32.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$20.36 $20.36

-12.38%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,001 $2,001

48.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$16.3K $16.3K

92.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$71.9 $71.9

6.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$37.12 $37.12

45.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$102 $102

25.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$106 $106

54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,851 $1,851

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,423 $1,423

36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$3,379 $3,379

40.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,470 $2,470

40.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$6,817 $6,817

-4.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.8

1.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5% 26.9% $524

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3% 5.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8% 22.9% $105

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7% 4.6% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8% 25% $48

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9% 79.9% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2% 37% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $89.0 in Staten Island, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $517 per month, with Staten Island, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

04:47 4:47 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

495,747

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Staten Island, NY 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staten Island, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Staten Island, NY. 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $2,001 in Staten Island, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Staten Island, NY – a meal for two runs $89.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Staten Island, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Staten Island, NY is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Staten Island, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Staten Island, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.