Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Seattle, WA and in Summit, NJ: $3,785 and $3,924 a month, rent and utilities included.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
188

Cost of Living Index in Summit, NJ
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Summit, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Summit, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,924 in Summit, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Summit, NJ $3,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $6,083 in Summit, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Summit, NJ $6,083

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $8,242 in Summit, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Summit, NJ $8,242

Living in Seattle, WA costs roughly 4% less than in Summit, NJ.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Summit, NJ 188% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$25.26 $25.26

0.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$98.2 $98.2

2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.85 $10.85

36.04%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.53 $5.53

17.54%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.22 $2.22

44.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.54 $1.54

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.84 $7.84

1.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.10 $8.10

0.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.30 $1.30

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.34 $4.34

22.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$5.88 $5.88

8.84%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$5.89 $5.89

-14.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$14.21 $14.21

31.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$10.18 $10.18

83.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.93 $16.93

35.14%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.93 $5.93

2.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.80 $1.80

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.40 $4.40

25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.41 $5.41

20.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.03 $3.03

15.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.81 $3.81

-13.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.07 $3.07

-8.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.94 $2.94

-12.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$11.79 $11.79

5.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$20.39 $20.39

-27.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.75 $1.75

139.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$5.54 $5.54

4.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.03 $3.03

-14.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.00 $2.00

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$24.38 $24.38

23.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.07 $1.07

31.78%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.2K $28.2K

30.48%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

4.25%

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

$308 $308

$214 $214

43.70%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$60.1 $60.1

15.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$50.6 $50.6

69.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$78.8 $78.8

-3.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$15.10 $15.10

19.34%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$2,023 $2,023

35.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$15.7K $15.7K

94.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$41.66 $41.66

89.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$58.6 $58.6

-7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$77.7 $77.7

63.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$118 $118

34.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,753 $2,753

-8.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$2,515 $2,515

-22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$5,562 $5,562

-7.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$5,027 $5,027

-29.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.75

2.07%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Summit, NJ

$2.5K 64.1% 29.7% $576

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Summit, NJ

$458 11.7% 16.3% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Summit, NJ

$325 8.3% 29.8% $138

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Summit, NJ

$371 9.5% 8.6% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Summit, NJ

$133 3.4% 29.4% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Summit, NJ

$13 * 0.3% 89.9% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Summit, NJ

$109 2.8% 3.1% $3.4

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,753 in Summit, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $98 in Summit, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $458 per month, with Summit, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Summit, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

13:44 1:44 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

11,161

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Summit, NJ 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Summit, 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 Summit, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $5,677 in Seattle, WA and $5,886 in Summit, NJ 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 $2,753 in Summit, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $2,023 in Summit, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Summit, NJ – a meal for two runs $98 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA 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.