Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Troy, NY: $2,388 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Troy, NY
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Troy, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Troy, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,388 in Troy, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Troy, NY $2,388

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,919 in Troy, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Troy, NY $3,919

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $5,451 in Troy, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Troy, NY $5,451

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Troy, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Troy, NY 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$18.23 $18.23

38.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$75.9 $75.9

33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.04 $12.04

23.34%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$6.58 $6.58

0.15%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.63 $2.63

22.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.02 $2.02

55.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.94 $6.94

17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.69 $7.69

4.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.06 $1.06

14.15%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.21 $3.21

59.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.34 $4.34

45.16%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.98 $3.98

23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.13 $11.13

71.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$13.49 $13.49

37.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$17.59 $17.59

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.76 $4.76

22.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.39 $1.39

40.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$5.35 $5.35

-1.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.78 $4.78

35.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.02 $3.02

18.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.69 $3.69

-14.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.20 $2.20

29.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.98 $1.98

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$14.27 $14.27

-10.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.11 $14.11

6.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.07 $2.07

101.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.99 $3.99

50.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.29 $1.29

135.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$64.6 $64.6

70.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.77 $3.77

-32.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.38 $1.38

18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$30.54 $30.54

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.12 $1.12

26.79%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$35.6K $35.6K

0.32%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$25.9K $25.9K

-1.29%

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

$299 $299

$214 $214

39.80%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$59.3 $59.3

19.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$74.9 $74.9

17.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$44.04 $44.04

80.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$15.16 $15.16

12.93%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$1,502 $1,502

100.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$17.2K $17.2K

84.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$54.7 $54.7

41.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$47.68 $47.68

15.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$99.5 $99.5

26.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$123 $123

32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,293 $1,293

90.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,006 $1,006

94.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$3,046 $3,046

54.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,439 $2,439

45.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$2,537 $2,537

189.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,516 $2,516

100.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$7,603 $7,603

-17.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.66

2.85%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Troy, NY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Troy, NY

$1K 42.2% 48.6% $950

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Troy, NY

$403 16.9% 25.7% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Troy, NY

$348 14.6% 24% $110

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Troy, NY

$330 13.8% 19.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Troy, NY

$146 6.1% 22.8% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Troy, NY

$80 3.4% 39.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Troy, NY

$74 3.1% 34.6% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,293 in Troy, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Troy, NY pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76.0 in Troy, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $403 per month, with Troy, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Troy, NY

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

11:52 11:52 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

51,401

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Troy, NY 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Troy, 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 Troy, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Troy, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Troy, 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,293 in Troy, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Troy, NY – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,388 in Troy, NY – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,388 in Troy, NY versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Troy, NY but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Troy, NY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Troy, 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.

Expats usually find Troy, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.