Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and West Caldwell, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in West Caldwell, NJ: $2,828 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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
130

Cost of Living Index in West Caldwell, NJ
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West Caldwell, NJ Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

West Caldwell, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Seattle, WA $3,782
West Caldwell, NJ $2,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,976 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Seattle, WA $5,636
West Caldwell, NJ $3,976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,123 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Seattle, WA $7,489
West Caldwell, NJ $5,123

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 34% more expensive than in West Caldwell, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, West Caldwell, NJ 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$21.87 $21.87

12.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$79.2 $79.2

24.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.69 $12.69

16.55%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.29 $5.29

23.25%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.00 $3.00

7.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.30 $2.30

37.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.83 $5.83

34.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$7.85 $7.85

2.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.40 $1.40

-13.57%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.42 $4.42

16.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$7.20 $7.20

-15.97%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$5.10 $5.10

-4.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$12.32 $12.32

55.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$12.94 $12.94

46.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$18.08 $18.08

28.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$5.41 $5.41

10.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.53 $1.53

26.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$5.06 $5.06

3.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.29 $5.29

24.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.86 $2.86

26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.08 $3.08

7.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.50 $2.50

11.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.42 $2.42

3.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$12.02 $12.02

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.29 $15.29

-3.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.40 $2.40

75.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.43 $4.43

30.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.28 $2.28

29.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.71 $2.71

-2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 $1.54

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$24.39 $24.39

21.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 $1.10

35.45%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.4K $31.4K

14.45%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.8K $25.8K

1.89%

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

$302 $302

$217 $217

38.91%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$63.1 $63.1

11.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$65.3 $65.3

30.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$38.56 $38.56

101.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$15.60 $15.60

14.36%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$2,198 $2,198

35.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$42.8K $42.8K

-26.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$47.95 $47.95

59.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$47.46 $47.46

13.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$103 $103

24.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$138 $138

18.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,626 $1,626

50.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,447 $1,447

34.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,196 $2,196

116.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,075 $2,075

67.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,488 $2,488

196.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,482 $2,482

106.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,996 $2,996

117.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.62

4.08%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for West Caldwell, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

West Caldwell, NJ

$1.4K 51.2% 25.6% $499

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

West Caldwell, NJ

$451 16% 17.3% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

West Caldwell, NJ

$346 12.2% 24.4% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

West Caldwell, NJ

$343 12.1% 14.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

West Caldwell, NJ

$152 5.4% 20.3% $39

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

West Caldwell, NJ

$20 * 0.7% 84.9% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

West Caldwell, NJ

$70 2.5% 38.5% $44

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 $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 117% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $451 per month, with West Caldwell, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 West Caldwell, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

02:02 2:02 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

10,797

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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

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

West Caldwell, NJ is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 117% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $2,198 in West Caldwell, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in West Caldwell, NJ – a meal for two runs $79.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. West Caldwell, NJ is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, West Caldwell, NJ 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and West Caldwell, NJ are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find West Caldwell, NJ gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.