Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Staten Island, NY and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Staten Island, NY: $2,998 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

146

Cost of Living Index in Staten Island, NY
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Staten Island, NY Living Index
184

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

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Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,998

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Staten Island, NY and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Staten Island, NY and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Staten Island, NY $2,998
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,498 in Staten Island, NY versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Staten Island, NY $4,498
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,998 in Staten Island, NY versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Staten Island, NY $5,998
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Staten Island, NY costs roughly 21% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Staten Island, NY 121% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.72 $23.72

$24.52 $24.52

-3.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.8 $88.8

$98.2 $98.2

-9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.47 $13.47

$14.79 $14.79

-8.92%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$6.52 $6.52

0.31%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$3.23 $3.23

-17.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$3.17 $3.17

-48.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.85 $7.85

-0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$8.03 $8.03

1.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.21 $1.21

2.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.92 $4.92

$5.14 $5.14

-4.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$6.05 $6.05

11.74%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$4.88 $4.88

19.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$19.18 $19.18

-9.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$18.91 $18.91

-25.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.21 $19.21

$23.31 $23.31

-17.59%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$5.99 $5.99

13.36%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.93 $1.93

80.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.25 $5.25

16.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$6.57 $6.57

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.62 $3.62

12.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.31 $3.31

29.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.51 $2.51

13.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.80 $17.80

$12.18 $12.18

46.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$14.83 $14.83

-0.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$4.22 $4.22

-58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$5.77 $5.77

-36.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.95 $2.95

1.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.65 $2.65

13.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.72 $1.72

28.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.69 $42.69

$29.72 $29.72

43.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.49 $1.49

-22.82%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$35.9K $35.9K

-9.28%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.14%

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

$213 $213

$302 $302

-29.33%

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

$75.0 $75.0

$70.1 $70.1

6.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$85.3 $85.3

-24.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$77.8 $77.8

47.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$20.36 $20.36

$17.84 $17.84

14.13%

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

$2,001 $2,001

$2,973 $2,973

-32.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$31.3K $31.3K

-47.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.9 $71.9

$76.6 $76.6

-6.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.12 $37.12

$54.1 $54.1

-31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$128 $128

-20.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$164 $164

-35.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$2,445 $2,445

-24.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,423 $1,423

$1,947 $1,947

-26.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,379 $3,379

$4,744 $4,744

-28.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,470 $2,470

$3,469 $3,469

-28.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,817 $6,817

$6,506 $6,506

4.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.89

-1.31%

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

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Staten Island, NY

$1.4K 47.5%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 36.8% $524

Groceries & Markets

Staten Island, NY

$517 17.3%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 5.5% $29

Eating Out

Staten Island, NY

$381 12.7%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 4.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Staten Island, NY

$352 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 29.7% $105

Sport & Entertainment

Staten Island, NY

$156 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 27% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Staten Island, NY

$143 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 33.3% $48

Getting Around

Staten Island, NY

$26 * 0.9%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 397% $103

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 $1,851 in Staten Island, NY and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 5% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $89.0 in Staten Island, NY vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $517 vs $546 per month, with Staten Island, NY cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

01:11 1:11 AM

3 h behind Staten Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

495,747

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Staten Island, NY Seattle, WA 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Staten Island, NY
Seattle, WA

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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

Staten Island, NY vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Staten Island, NY is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Staten Island, NY, 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: $1,851 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,001 in Staten Island, NY versus $2,973 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Staten Island, NY – a meal for two runs $89.0 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. Staten Island, NY is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Staten Island, 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.

Safety-wise, Staten Island, NY and Seattle, WA 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 Staten Island, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.