Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Toms River, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Toms River, NJ: $2,884 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
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Toms River, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,884 in Toms River, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Toms River, NJ $2,884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,311 in Toms River, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Toms River, NJ $4,311

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,738 in Toms River, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Toms River, NJ $5,738

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Toms River, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Toms River, NJ 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$19.87 $19.87

27.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$74.2 $74.2

35.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$12.05 $12.05

22.49%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.53 $5.53

17.54%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.57 $2.57

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.86 $1.86

68.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.03 $5.03

58.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$6.89 $6.89

18.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.41 $1.41

-17.02%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.61 $4.61

14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.42 $2.42

164.46%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.61 $4.61

9.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$16.29 $16.29

14.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$16.95 $16.95

10.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$16.81 $16.81

36.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.98 $5.98

1.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.30 $1.30

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$5.15 $5.15

6.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.92 $5.92

10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.58 $1.58

120.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.74 $2.74

20.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.53 $2.53

10.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$9.84 $9.84

26.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$10.09 $10.09

47.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.80 $2.80

49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.42 $3.42

69.59%

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

$2.99 $2.99

-13.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.13 $2.13

-23.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$41.41 $41.41

-27.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.92 $0.92

53.26%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$30.8K $30.8K

19.62%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.45%

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

$308 $308

$243 $243

26.83%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$37.24 $37.24

85.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$62.0 $62.0

38.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$30.15 $30.15

153.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.15 $17.15

5.07%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$3,103 $3,103

-11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.4K $34.4K

-11.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$69.8 $69.8

13.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$75.8 $75.8

-28.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$120 $120

5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$121 $121

30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,617 $1,617

55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,527 $1,527

26.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$2,900 $2,900

76.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,766 $2,766

28.04%

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

$5,268 $5,268

22.82%

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 Toms River, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53% 21.2% $412

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Toms River, NJ

$445 15.4% 18.6% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Toms River, NJ

$342 11.9% 26.2% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Toms River, NJ

$318 11% 21.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Toms River, NJ

$174 6% 7.6% $14

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 89.4% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2% 42.7% $48

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 $1,617 in Toms River, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $74 in Toms River, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $445 per month, with Toms River, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

20:15 8:15 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

95,438

💱 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 Toms River, NJ 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Toms River, NJ

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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 Toms River, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toms River, NJ is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 23% 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 $1,617 in Toms River, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $3,103 in Toms River, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toms River, NJ – a meal for two runs $74 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. Toms River, NJ 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.

It comes down to priorities – Toms River, NJ wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.