Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toms River, NJ and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Toms River, NJ: $2,884 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
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Toms River, NJ Living Index
184

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

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Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Toms River, NJ versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Toms River, NJ $2,884
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,311 in Toms River, NJ versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Toms River, NJ $4,311
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,738 in Toms River, NJ versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Toms River, NJ $5,738
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Toms River, NJ costs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toms River, NJ 112% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$25.30 $25.30

-21.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$101 $101

-26.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.76 $14.76

-18.36%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$6.50 $6.50

-14.92%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$3.21 $3.21

-19.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$3.14 $3.14

-40.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$7.97 $7.97

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.13 $8.13

-15.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 $1.17

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.30 $5.30

-13.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$6.40 $6.40

-62.19%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$5.06 $5.06

-8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$18.71 $18.71

-12.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$18.72 $18.72

-9.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 $16.81

$22.88 $22.88

-26.53%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$6.06 $6.06

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.95 $1.95

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.51 $5.51

-6.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$6.52 $6.52

-9.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.49 $3.49

-54.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.29 $3.29

-16.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.80 $2.80

-9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.58 $2.58

-24.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$12.49 $12.49

-21.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$14.87 $14.87

-32.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.19 $4.19

-33.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$5.80 $5.80

-41.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.58 $2.58

15.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.64 $1.64

29.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 $41.41

$30.12 $30.12

37.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.41 $1.41

-34.75%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$36.8K $36.8K

-16.40%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

-1.43%

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

$243 $243

$308 $308

-21.16%

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

$37.24 $37.24

$69.2 $69.2

-46.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$86.1 $86.1

-28.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 $30.15

$76.5 $76.5

-60.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 $17.15

$18.02 $18.02

-4.83%

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

$3,103 $3,103

$2,746 $2,746

13.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$30.6K $30.6K

12.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$79.2 $79.2

-11.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 $75.8

$54.3 $54.3

39.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$127 $127

-5.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$159 $159

-23.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 $1,617

$2,508 $2,508

-35.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 $1,527

$1,938 $1,938

-21.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,900 $2,900

$5,117 $5,117

-43.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,766 $2,766

$3,542 $3,542

-21.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,268 $5,268

$6,470 $6,470

-18.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.89

-3.19%

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

Last update for Toms River, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 27% $412

Groceries & Markets

Toms River, NJ

$445 15.4%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 22.9% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toms River, NJ

$342 11.9%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 35.4% $121

Eating Out

Toms River, NJ

$318 11%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 27.7% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Toms River, NJ

$174 6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 8.2% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 74.5% $48

Getting Around

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 847% $115

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 $1,617 in Toms River, NJ and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 23% 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: $74 in Toms River, NJ vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $547 per month, with Toms River, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

18:17 6:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

3 h behind Toms River, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,438

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Toms River, NJ Seattle, WA 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toms River, 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

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

Toms River, NJ is about 24% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Toms River, NJ. 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: $1,617 in Toms River, NJ versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,103 in Toms River, NJ versus $2,746 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 Toms River, NJ – a meal for two runs $74 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toms River, NJ 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.

It comes down to priorities – Toms River, NJ wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.