Popular cities
New York vs Seattle cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ New York
๐บ๐ธ Seattle
At a glance
- Where Seattle is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (41%โ), Studio rent (month) (36%โ), Hotel night (33%โ)
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (29%โ), Entry ticket (21%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | New York | Seattle | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 22$22 | New York โ9% |
| Street food1 item | $ 10$10 | $ 14$14 | New York โ29% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 55$55 | $ 50$50 | Seattle โ9% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 9$9 | $ 8$8 | Seattle โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 19$19 | $ 16$16 | Seattle โ16% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2.3$2.3 | New York โ13% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 3$3 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Seattle โ7% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 23$23 | $ 16$16 | Seattle โ30% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 14$14 | $ 11$11 | Seattle โ21% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | $ 3$3 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 68$68 | $ 40$40 | Seattle โ41% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 270$270 | $ 180$180 | Seattle โ33% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 3,300$3,300 | $ 2,100$2,100 | Seattle โ36% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | $ 4.5$4.5 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | Seattle โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 42$42 | $ 35$35 | Seattle โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | $ 100$100 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 80$80 | $ 75$75 | Seattle โ6% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 30$30 | $ 38$38 | New York โ21% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, New York or Seattle?
Seattle is 26% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $467 vs $355; a month $10,297 vs $7,424.
Which is easier to travel, New York or Seattle?
About the same: New York 1.6/5, Seattle 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between New York and Seattle?
With a short-term studio and living costs, New York is about $10,297 and Seattle about $7,424 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.