Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Uniondale, NY: $2,547 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Uniondale, NY
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Uniondale, NY Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Uniondale, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,547 in Uniondale, NY.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Uniondale, NY $2,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,730 in Uniondale, NY.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Uniondale, NY $3,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,913 in Uniondale, NY.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Uniondale, NY $4,913

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Uniondale, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Uniondale, NY 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.74 $18.74

27.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$78.8 $78.8

25.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.05 $12.05

23.98%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$5.43 $5.43

25.05%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.27 $2.27

42.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.58 $1.58

99.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.06 $8.06

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.09 $7.09

11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.26 $1.26

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.20 $4.20

25.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$6.11 $6.11

-5.73%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$6.00 $6.00

-18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.35 $12.35

63.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.25 $10.25

75.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.18 $17.18

35.91%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.36 $5.36

10.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.70 $1.70

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.36 $4.36

22.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.26 $5.26

24.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.09 $3.09

9.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.10 $3.10

-7.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.93 $2.93

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.81 $2.81

-13.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.74 $11.74

3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.70 $14.70

3.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.77 $1.77

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.53 $3.53

66.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.01 $2.01

47.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$55.7 $55.7

95.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$3.02 $3.02

-16.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.11 $2.11

-18.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$23.82 $23.82

24.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.17 $1.17

29.06%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$27.6K $27.6K

31.00%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

0.71%

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

$289 $289

$171 $171

69.29%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$50.4 $50.4

37.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$50.4 $50.4

68.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$37.82 $37.82

83.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$14.71 $14.71

22.16%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,721 $1,721

63.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$20.2K $20.2K

117.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$41.44 $41.44

120.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$57.6 $57.6

-4.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$75.9 $75.9

67.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$101 $101

59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,489 $1,489

73.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,256 $1,256

54.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,479 $2,479

105.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,000 $2,000

77.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,060 $3,060

140.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$2,009 $2,009

144.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.72

1.19%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Uniondale, NY: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Uniondale, NY

$1.3K 49.3% 35.4% $687

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Uniondale, NY

$430 16.9% 21% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Uniondale, NY

$271 10.7% 38.7% $171

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Uniondale, NY

$321 12.6% 19.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Uniondale, NY

$124 4.9% 36.5% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Uniondale, NY

$77 3% 41.5% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Uniondale, NY

$67 2.6% 36.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,489 in Uniondale, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $79 in Uniondale, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $430 per month, with Uniondale, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Uniondale, NY

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

06:11 6:11 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

32,473

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Uniondale, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Uniondale, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uniondale, NY is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $5,642 in Seattle, WA and $3,820 in Uniondale, NY 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,489 in Uniondale, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Uniondale, NY – a meal for two runs $79 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,547 in Uniondale, NY – Uniondale, NY is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Uniondale, 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 Uniondale, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.