Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

162

Cost of Living Index in Federal Way, WA
Learn more

Federal Way, WA Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
Learn more

Albany, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,324

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Federal Way, WA is roughly 20% more expensive than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.74 $24.74

$27.00 $27.00

-8.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$100 $100

-24.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.56 $12.56

$14.87 $14.87

-15.53%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$6.30 $6.30

-7.62%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.71 $2.71

8.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.04 $2.04

-18.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$5.98 $5.98

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.12 $7.12

$10.40 $10.40

-31.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.05 $1.05

3.81%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.21 $3.21

26.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$7.07 $7.07

-56.86%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$5.10 $5.10

-0.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.26 $16.26

$16.37 $16.37

-0.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$16.25 $16.25

-35.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 $19.36

$18.60 $18.60

4.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$4.72 $4.72

8.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.40 $1.40

12.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$5.45 $5.45

-20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.77 $4.77

-2.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.17 $3.17

-15.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.54 $3.54

-32.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.34 $2.34

-4.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.95 $1.95

33.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.08 $13.08

$15.11 $15.11

-13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.25 $14.25

6.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.07 $2.07

-17.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.84 $4.84

$3.99 $3.99

21.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.51 $1.51

75.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 $63.9

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.13 $5.13

-48.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.36 $1.36

22.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.83 $29.83

$29.58 $29.58

0.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.07 $1.07

23.36%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.1K $36.1K

0.90%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.2K $25.2K

1.77%

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

$157 $157

$215 $215

-26.68%

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

$76.9 $76.9

$69.7 $69.7

10.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.0 $88.0

$87.9 $87.9

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.95 $12.95

$38.64 $38.64

-66.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.03 $38.03

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$14.98 $14.98

-21.30%

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

$1,446 $1,446

$1,475 $1,475

-1.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$16.9K $16.9K

91.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.83 $45.83

$54.2 $54.2

-15.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 $44.65

$40.55 $40.55

10.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.4 $84.4

$111 $111

-24.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$106 $106

-5.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,017 $2,017

$1,440 $1,440

40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$1,256 $1,256

61.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,773 $2,773

$2,882 $2,882

-3.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,419 $2,419

$2,595 $2,595

-6.79%

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)

$4,440 $4,440

$4,245 $4,245

4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.66

-0.30%

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

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

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Federal Way, WA

$2K 60.9%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2% 38% $769

Groceries & Markets

Federal Way, WA

$421 12.7%

Albany, NY

$451 16.3% 7.2% $31

Eating Out

Federal Way, WA

$373 11.2%

Albany, NY

$406 14.6% 8.7% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Federal Way, WA

$322 9.7%

Albany, NY

$372 13.4% 15.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Federal Way, WA

$124 3.7%

Albany, NY

$140 5.1% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Federal Way, WA

$37 1.1%

Albany, NY

$69 2.5% 87.8% $32

Getting Around

Federal Way, WA

$22 * 0.7%

Albany, NY

$82 3% 280% $60

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 $2,017 in Federal Way, WA and $1,440 in Albany, NY. 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: $76.0 in Federal Way, WA vs $100 in Albany, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $451 per month, with Federal Way, WA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Federal Way, WA

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

21:46 9:46 PM

3 h ahead of Federal Way, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,030

101,228

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Federal Way, WA
Albany, NY

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

Federal Way, WA vs Albany, NY: 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.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Federal Way, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,017 in Federal Way, WA versus $1,440 in Albany, NY. 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 $3,324 per month in Federal Way, WA versus $2,776 in Albany, NY – 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, Federal Way, WA and Albany, NY 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.