Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Syracuse, NY: $2,866 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Syracuse, NY
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Syracuse, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Syracuse, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,866 in Syracuse, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Syracuse, NY $2,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $3,945 in Syracuse, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Syracuse, NY $3,945

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,025 in Syracuse, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Syracuse, NY $5,025

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Syracuse, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Syracuse, NY 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.84 $17.84

41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.4 $76.4

32.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.14 $12.14

21.58%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$6.02 $6.02

7.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.64 $2.64

21.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.05 $2.05

53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.85 $6.85

16.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.37 $7.37

10.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.90 $0.90

30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.31 $3.31

60.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.31 $4.31

48.49%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.89 $3.89

30.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.15 $11.15

67.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$13.60 $13.60

37.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.66 $17.66

29.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$6.34 $6.34

-4.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.42 $1.42

37.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.24 $5.24

5.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$6.86 $6.86

-4.96%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.98 $2.98

17.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.77 $3.77

-12.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.92 $2.92

-4.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 $2.61

-1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$14.63 $14.63

-14.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.16 $15.16

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.92 $2.92

43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.81 $4.81

20.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.96 $1.96

55.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$86.8 $86.8

22.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.99 $3.99

-35.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.17 $2.17

-24.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$30.59 $30.59

-1.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.06 $1.06

33.02%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.8K $30.8K

19.61%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.5K $26.5K

0.48%

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

$308 $308

$236 $236

30.17%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$59.2 $59.2

16.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$75.3 $75.3

14.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$48.94 $48.94

56.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$32.43 $32.43

9.47%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$14.88 $14.88

21.10%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,680 $1,680

63.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$17.3K $17.3K

76.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.3 $54.3

45.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$47.90 $47.90

13.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$97.3 $97.3

30.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

31.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,676 $1,676

49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,405 $1,405

38.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,135 $3,135

63.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,839 $1,839

92.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$1,880 $1,880

292.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,992 $1,992

151.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,600 $3,600

79.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.67

3.30%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Syracuse, NY: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Syracuse, NY

$1.4K 49% 27.5% $534

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Syracuse, NY

$439 15.3% 19.8% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Syracuse, NY

$371 12.9% 19.9% $92

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Syracuse, NY

$319 11.1% 21.5% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Syracuse, NY

$144 5% 23.5% $44

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Syracuse, NY

$109 3.8% 15.1% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Syracuse, NY

$79 2.8% 30% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,676 in Syracuse, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 80% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Syracuse, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $439 per month, with Syracuse, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Syracuse, NY

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

20:56 8:56 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

148,620

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Syracuse, NY 3,590 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Syracuse, NY

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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 Syracuse, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Syracuse, NY is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 80% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,676 in Syracuse, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Syracuse, NY – a meal for two runs $76 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,866 in Syracuse, NY – Syracuse, NY is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Syracuse, NY 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.

Expats usually find Syracuse, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.