Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Summit, NJ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living costs are similar in Summit, NJ and in Seattle, WA: $3,934 and $3,782 a month, rent and utilities included.

189

Cost of Living Index in Summit, NJ
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Summit, NJ Living Index
184

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

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Summit, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,934

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,934 in Summit, NJ versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA.

Summit, NJ $3,934
Seattle, WA $3,782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,112 in Summit, NJ versus $5,636 in Seattle, WA.

Summit, NJ $6,112
Seattle, WA $5,636

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,290 in Summit, NJ versus $7,489 in Seattle, WA.

Summit, NJ $8,290
Seattle, WA $7,489

Living in Summit, NJ is roughly 4% more expensive than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Summit, NJ 190% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.51 $24.51

$24.52 $24.52

-0.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$98.2 $98.2

1.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 $10.89

$14.79 $14.79

-26.37%

Cappuccino

$5.39 $5.39

$6.52 $6.52

-17.33%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$3.23 $3.23

-31.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$3.17 $3.17

-52.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.15 $8.15

$7.85 $7.85

3.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$8.03 $8.03

-2.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.21 $1.21

4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.30 $4.30

$5.14 $5.14

-16.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.05 $6.05

-1.16%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$4.88 $4.88

22.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$19.18 $19.18

-25.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$18.91 $18.91

-45.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 $17.32

$23.31 $23.31

-25.70%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.99 $5.99

1.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.93 $1.93

-11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.25 $5.25

-20.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$6.57 $6.57

-19.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.62 $3.62

-17.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.31 $3.31

11.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.78 $2.78

7.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.51 $2.51

17.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$12.18 $12.18

-5.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.82 $19.82

$14.83 $14.83

33.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$4.22 $4.22

-59.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 $5.50

$5.77 $5.77

-4.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.65 $2.65

12.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.72 $1.72

21.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 $24.27

$29.72 $29.72

-18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.49 $1.49

-28.86%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$35.9K $35.9K

-22.57%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

0.21%

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

$215 $215

$302 $302

-28.62%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$70.1 $70.1

-14.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.97 $49.97

$85.3 $85.3

-41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.2 $81.2

$77.8 $77.8

4.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$17.84 $17.84

-16.76%

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

$1,966 $1,966

$2,973 $2,973

-33.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$31.3K $31.3K

-48.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.78 $40.78

$76.6 $76.6

-46.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.9 $56.9

$54.1 $54.1

5.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 $77.0

$128 $128

-39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$164 $164

-26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,795 $2,795

$2,445 $2,445

14.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 $2,530

$1,947 $1,947

29.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,573 $5,573

$4,744 $4,744

17.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,084 $5,084

$3,469 $3,469

46.58%

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)

$6,506 $6,506

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.89

-2.03%

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

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Summit, NJ

$2.5K 64.3%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 23.1% $584

Groceries & Markets

Summit, NJ

$456 11.6%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 19.6% $89

Eating Out

Summit, NJ

$365 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 9.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Summit, NJ

$325 8.3%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 40.5% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Summit, NJ

$133 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 43.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Summit, NJ

$111 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 2.4% $2.6

Getting Around

Summit, NJ

$13 * 0.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 861% $116

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 $2,795 in Summit, NJ and $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Summit, NJ vs $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $546, with Summit, NJ cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Summit, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

23:39 11:39 PM

20:39 8:39 PM

3 h behind Summit, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,161

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Summit, NJ
Seattle, WA

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

Summit, NJ vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Summit, NJ and Seattle, WA differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($3,934 vs $3,782 including rent). Seattle, WA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,901 in Summit, NJ and $5,673 in Seattle, WA 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: $2,795 in Summit, NJ versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,966 in Summit, NJ 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 Seattle, WA – a meal for two runs $98.0 versus $99.0 in Summit, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Seattle, WA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Seattle, WA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Summit, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Summit, NJ 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 Seattle, WA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Summit, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.