Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Asmara and Albuquerque, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Asmara: $1,374 a month against $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Albuquerque, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

67

Cost of Living Index in Asmara
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Asmara Living Index
114

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

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Asmara

🇪🇷 Eritrea

$1,374

/mo nomad

Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Asmara and in Albuquerque, NM

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

A single person spends $1,374 per month in Asmara vs $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Asmara $1,374
Albuquerque, NM $2,342

A couple spends around $2,159 per month in Asmara vs $3,506 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Asmara $2,159
Albuquerque, NM $3,506

A family of three spends $2,943 per month in Asmara vs $4,671 in Albuquerque, NM, rent included.

Asmara $2,943
Albuquerque, NM $4,671

Asmara is about 41% cheaper than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Asmara and Albuquerque, NM sit above the global median – Asmara by 1%, Albuquerque, NM by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.76 ERN 312

$17.34 $17.34

19.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.78 ERN 507

$68.1 $68.1

-50.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.02 ERN 90.5

$9.89 $9.89

-39.13%

Cappuccino

$0.77 ERN 11.61

$4.96 $4.96

-84.48%

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

$1.02 ERN 15.37

$2.88 $2.88

-64.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 ERN 14.59

$2.42 $2.42

-59.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.61 ERN 9.20

$5.90 $5.90

-89.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ERN 23.41

$0.99 $0.99

57.58%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.26 ERN 33.95

$4.54 $4.54

-50.22%

Eggs

$4.48 ERN 67.3

$4.75 $4.75

-5.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.93 ERN 43.95

$11.63 $11.63

-74.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.11 ERN 407

$9.21 $9.21

194.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.94 ERN 149

$20.29 $20.29

-51.01%

Apples (1kg)

$12.25 ERN 184

$4.69 $4.69

161.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ERN 18.86

$1.48 $1.48

-14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ERN 30.53

$4.15 $4.15

-51.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 ERN 17.18

$5.32 $5.32

-78.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 ERN 26.31

$3.28 $3.28

-46.65%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ERN 14.27

$3.37 $3.37

-71.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 ERN 33.78

$2.79 $2.79

-19.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

Wine (Bottle)

$11.98 ERN 180

$14.24 $14.24

-15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ERN 14.71

$2.46 $2.46

-60.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 ERN 15.43

$3.64 $3.64

-71.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 ERN 2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.98 ERN 120

$4.01 $4.01

99.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 $3.62

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 ERN 8.70

$2.04 $2.04

-71.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 ERN 153

$32.35 $32.35

-68.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.55 ERN 38.23

$0.96 $0.96

165.63%

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

$67.7K ERN 1.0M

$29.0K $29.0K

133.28%

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

$70.9K ERN 1.1M

$25.1K $25.1K

182.09%

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

$25.48 ERN 383

$155 $155

-83.51%

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

$68.1 ERN 1,023

$62.9 $62.9

8.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$201 ERN 3,012

$73.0 $73.0

174.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.63 ERN 400

$49.09 $49.09

-45.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.86 ERN 73.1

$14.40 $14.40

-66.25%

Cinema Ticket

$1.22 ERN 18.28

$12.79 $12.79

-90.46%

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

$24.87 ERN 374

$1,487 $1,487

-98.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,595 ERN 39.0K

$25.3K $25.3K

-89.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 ERN 2,060

$53.4 $53.4

156.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$122 ERN 1,837

$43.87 $43.87

178.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$197 ERN 2,964

$106 $106

85.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 ERN 2,229

$117 $117

26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 ERN 3,781

$1,173 $1,173

-78.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$199 ERN 2,984

$1,117 $1,117

-82.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$454 ERN 6,824

$2,267 $2,267

-79.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$420 ERN 6,305

$1,943 $1,943

-78.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,247 ERN 18.7K

$2,466 $2,466

-49.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,481 ERN 37.3K

$2,257 $2,257

9.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,016 $4,016

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

82.65%

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

Last update for Asmara: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Asmara

$364 * 26.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.2% 10.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Asmara

$294 21.4%

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.4% 1.3% $3.7

Clothing & Footwear

Asmara

$272 19.8%

Albuquerque, NM

$144 6.2% 47% $128

Eating Out

Asmara

$204 * 14.9%

Albuquerque, NM

$295 12.6% 44.3% $91

Accommodation & Living

Asmara

$199 14.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7% 462% $919

Sport & Entertainment

Asmara

$29 2.1%

Albuquerque, NM

$75 3.2% 157% $46

Getting Around

Asmara

$11 * 0.8%

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8% 55.9% $6.4

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $252 in Asmara versus $1,173 in Albuquerque, NM. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Asmara versus $68.0 in Albuquerque, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $364 vs $402 – making Asmara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇷 Asmara

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🕒 Local time

07:35 7:35 AM

22:35 10:35 PM

9 h behind Asmara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000 Capital

564,559

💱 Currency

Eritrean Nakfa ERN ናቕፋ

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ERN = 6.66 USD

100 ERN = 5.92 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ERN – Eritrean Nakfa Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇷 Eritrean Nakfa (ናቕፋ)

Eritrean Nakfa exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 15.02 ERN (100 ERN = 6.66 USD). 1 EUR = 16.89 ERN (100 ERN = 5.92 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to ERN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Asmara Albuquerque, NM 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Asmara
Albuquerque, NM

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

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

Albuquerque, NM costs about 70% more than Asmara, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,062 per month in Asmara and $3,513 in Albuquerque, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asmara, 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 $1,374 in Asmara and $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM. That's a gap of about 70%.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Asmara. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Asmara, where all-in costs run around $1,374, than in Albuquerque, NM at $2,342. In Asmara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Albuquerque, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asmara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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