Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany, NY and Federal Way, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Albany, NY: $2,776 a month against $3,324 in Federal Way, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Federal Way, WA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
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Federal Way, WA Living Index

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Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Albany, NY and in Federal Way, WA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Albany, NY versus $3,324 in Federal Way, WA.

Albany, NY $2,776
Federal Way, WA $3,324

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,419 in Albany, NY versus $4,324 in Federal Way, WA.

Albany, NY $4,419
Federal Way, WA $4,324

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,061 in Albany, NY versus $5,324 in Federal Way, WA.

Albany, NY $6,061
Federal Way, WA $5,324

Living in Albany, NY costs roughly 16% less than in Federal Way, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany, NY 106% above, Federal Way, WA 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.00 $27.00

$24.74 $24.74

9.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$76.1 $76.1

31.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.56 $12.56

18.39%

Cappuccino

$6.30 $6.30

$5.82 $5.82

8.25%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.93 $2.93

-7.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.67 $1.67

22.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.06 $7.06

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.40 $10.40

$7.12 $7.12

46.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.09 $1.09

-3.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$4.07 $4.07

-21.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$3.05 $3.05

131.80%

Eggs

$5.10 $5.10

$5.09 $5.09

0.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$16.26 $16.26

0.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$10.51 $10.51

54.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.60 $18.60

$19.36 $19.36

-3.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$5.13 $5.13

-7.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.58 $1.58

-11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.31 $4.31

26.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.64 $4.64

2.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.69 $2.69

17.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.39 $2.39

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.23 $2.23

4.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.61 $2.61

-25.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.11 $15.11

$13.08 $13.08

15.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 $14.25

$15.19 $15.19

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.71 $1.71

21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.84 $4.84

-17.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.65 $2.65

-43.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 $63.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.63 $2.63

95.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.67 $1.67

-18.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$29.83 $29.83

-0.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.32 $1.32

-18.94%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.4K $36.4K

-0.89%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

-1.74%

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

$215 $215

$157 $157

36.38%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$76.9 $76.9

-9.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$88.0 $88.0

-0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.64 $38.64

$12.95 $12.95

198.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.03 $38.03

Cinema Ticket

$14.98 $14.98

$11.79 $11.79

27.06%

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

$1,475 $1,475

$1,446 $1,446

2.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$32.2K $32.2K

-47.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$45.83 $45.83

18.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 $40.55

$44.65 $44.65

-9.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$84.4 $84.4

31.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$100 $100

5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$2,017 $2,017

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$2,025 $2,025

-37.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,882 $2,882

$2,773 $2,773

3.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,595 $2,595

$2,419 $2,419

7.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,454 $2,454

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,478 $2,478

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,245 $4,245

$4,440 $4,440

-4.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.64

0.30%

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

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Last update for Federal Way, WA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2%

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9% 61.2% $769

Groceries & Markets

Albany, NY

$451 16.3%

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7% 6.8% $31

Eating Out

Albany, NY

$406 14.6%

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2% 8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albany, NY

$372 13.4%

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7% 13.4% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Albany, NY

$140 5.1%

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7% 11.8% $17

Getting Around

Albany, NY

$82 3%

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7% 73.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Albany, NY

$69 2.5%

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1% 46.7% $32

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 $1,440 in Albany, NY and $2,017 in Federal Way, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Federal Way, WA pays 5% 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: $100 in Albany, NY vs $76.0 in Federal Way, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $451 vs $421 per month, with Federal Way, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

17:16 5:16 PM

3 h behind Albany, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,228

101,030

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Albany, NY Federal Way, WA 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Albany, NY
Federal Way, 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

Albany, NY vs Federal Way, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany, NY wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Federal Way, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany, NY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 5% lower in Federal Way, WA. 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: $1,440 in Albany, NY versus $2,017 in Federal Way, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Federal Way, WA pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,776 per month in Albany, NY versus $3,324 in Federal Way, WA – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Albany, NY 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.

Safety-wise, Albany, NY and Federal Way, 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 Albany, NY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Federal Way, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.