Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Albuquerque, NM and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Albuquerque, NM: $2,342 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Albuquerque, NM
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Albuquerque, NM Living Index
184

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

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Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,342

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,342 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $2,342
Seattle, WA $3,782

A couple spends around $3,506 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $5,636 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $3,506
Seattle, WA $5,636

A family of three spends $4,671 per month in Albuquerque, NM vs $7,489 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Albuquerque, NM $4,671
Seattle, WA $7,489

Albuquerque, NM is about 38% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Albuquerque, NM and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Albuquerque, NM by 73%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.34 $17.34

$24.52 $24.52

-29.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$98.2 $98.2

-30.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 $9.89

$14.79 $14.79

-33.13%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$6.52 $6.52

-23.93%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.23 $3.23

-10.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.17 $3.17

-23.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$7.85 $7.85

-24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$8.03 $8.03

2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.21 $1.21

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$5.14 $5.14

-38.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$6.05 $6.05

-24.96%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$4.88 $4.88

-2.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$19.18 $19.18

-39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.21 $9.21

$18.91 $18.91

-51.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.29 $20.29

$23.31 $23.31

-12.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.99 $5.99

-21.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.93 $1.93

-23.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.25 $5.25

-20.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$6.57 $6.57

-19.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.62 $3.62

-9.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.31 $3.31

1.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.78 $2.78

-26.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.51 $2.51

11.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$12.18 $12.18

-11.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.24 $14.24

$14.83 $14.83

-3.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$4.22 $4.22

-41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$5.77 $5.77

-36.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$4.01 $4.01

$106 $106

-96.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.65 $2.65

36.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.72 $1.72

18.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.35 $32.35

$29.72 $29.72

8.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.49 $1.49

-35.57%

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

$29.0K $29.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-19.20%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$26.2K $26.2K

-4.26%

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

$155 $155

$302 $302

-48.79%

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

$62.9 $62.9

$70.1 $70.1

-10.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.0 $73.0

$85.3 $85.3

-14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 $49.09

$77.8 $77.8

-36.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.40 $14.40

$34.58 $34.58

-58.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.79 $12.79

$17.84 $17.84

-28.31%

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

$1,487 $1,487

$2,973 $2,973

-49.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$31.3K $31.3K

-19.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 $53.4

$76.6 $76.6

-30.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.87 $43.87

$54.1 $54.1

-18.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$128 $128

-17.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$164 $164

-28.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,173 $1,173

$2,445 $2,445

-52.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,117 $1,117

$1,947 $1,947

-42.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 $2,267

$4,744 $4,744

-52.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$3,469 $3,469

-44.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,466 $2,466

$7,367 $7,367

-66.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,257 $2,257

$5,127 $5,127

-55.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,016 $4,016

$6,506 $6,506

-38.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.89

-4.64%

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

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: 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

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5% 74.2% $829

Groceries & Markets

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.2%

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4% 35.6% $143

Eating Out

Albuquerque, NM

$295 12.6%

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6% 35.5% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.4%

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1% 57.4% $167

Clothing & Footwear

Albuquerque, NM

$144 6.2%

Seattle, WA

$190 5% 31.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Albuquerque, NM

$75 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 52% $39

Getting Around

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 625% $111

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,173 in Albuquerque, NM versus $2,445 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 62% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Albuquerque, NM versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $402 vs $546 – making Albuquerque, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

1 h behind Albuquerque, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

564,559

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

Albuquerque, NM Seattle, WA 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Albuquerque, NM
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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

Albuquerque, NM vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 62% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,513 per month in Albuquerque, NM and $5,673 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Albuquerque, NM, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM and $3,782 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 62%.

Public transport costs about 2549% less in Albuquerque, NM. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Albuquerque, NM, where all-in costs run around $2,342, than in Seattle, WA at $3,782. In Albuquerque, NM it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Albuquerque, NM costs $2,342 versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Albuquerque, NM. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.