Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Fe, NM and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Fe, NM: $2,868 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

139

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index
184

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

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Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA.

Santa Fe, NM $2,868
Seattle, WA $3,785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,964 in Santa Fe, NM versus $5,688 in Seattle, WA.

Santa Fe, NM $3,964
Seattle, WA $5,688

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,059 in Santa Fe, NM versus $7,592 in Seattle, WA.

Santa Fe, NM $5,059
Seattle, WA $7,592

Living in Santa Fe, NM costs roughly 24% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Fe, NM 111% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 $16.79

$25.30 $25.30

-33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 $67.2

$101 $101

-33.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.05 $10.05

$14.76 $14.76

-31.91%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$6.50 $6.50

-21.08%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$3.21 $3.21

-11.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$3.14 $3.14

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$7.97 $7.97

-23.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.13 $8.13

-12.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.17 $1.17

-19.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 $3.14

$5.30 $5.30

-40.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$6.40 $6.40

-28.44%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.06 $5.06

-17.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.69 $11.69

$18.71 $18.71

-37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 $9.72

$18.72 $18.72

-48.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$22.88 $22.88

-25.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$6.06 $6.06

-22.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.95 $1.95

-24.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$5.51 $5.51

-30.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$6.52 $6.52

-34.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.49 $3.49

-6.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.29 $3.29

-37.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.80 $2.80

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.58 $2.58

-5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.72 $10.72

$12.49 $12.49

-14.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.16 $16.16

$14.87 $14.87

8.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.19 $4.19

-49.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 $3.71

$5.80 $5.80

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$3.05 $3.05

-66.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.97 $19.97

$106 $106

-81.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.58 $2.58

41.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.64 $1.64

19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.25 $32.25

$30.12 $30.12

7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.41 $1.41

-27.66%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$36.8K $36.8K

-27.97%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.6K $26.6K

-3.60%

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

$159 $159

$308 $308

-48.30%

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

$45.35 $45.35

$69.2 $69.2

-34.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.4 $73.4

$86.1 $86.1

-14.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$76.5 $76.5

-8.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$13.16 $13.16

$18.02 $18.02

-26.97%

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

$1,344 $1,344

$2,746 $2,746

-51.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.5K $15.5K

$30.6K $30.6K

-49.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 $55.3

$79.2 $79.2

-30.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 $42.87

$54.3 $54.3

-21.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$127 $127

-38.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$159 $159

-25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,172 $2,172

$2,508 $2,508

-13.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,652 $1,652

$1,938 $1,938

-14.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,059 $3,059

$5,117 $5,117

-40.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,387 $2,387

$3,542 $3,542

-32.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,231 $6,231

$7,374 $7,374

-15.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,826 $3,826

$5,002 $5,002

-23.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,927 $3,927

$6,470 $6,470

-39.31%

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 Santa Fe, NM: October 24, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 57.6%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2% 17.4% $287

Groceries & Markets

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.3%

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5% 43.6% $166

Eating Out

Santa Fe, NM

$292 10.2%

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7% 39.4% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Fe, NM

$278 9.7%

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2% 66.6% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Fe, NM

$133 4.6%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 41.7% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Fe, NM

$96 3.4%

Seattle, WA

$112 3% 17.2% $17

Getting Around

Santa Fe, NM

$38 1.3%

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4% 244% $91

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM and $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $67 in Santa Fe, NM vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $547 per month, with Santa Fe, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:52 11:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

1 h behind Santa Fe, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,505

737,015

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Fe, NM Seattle, WA 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santa Fe, NM
Seattle, WA

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

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

Santa Fe, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Fe, NM the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Santa Fe, NM. 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: $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,868 per month in Santa Fe, NM versus $3,785 in Seattle, WA – Santa Fe, NM is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Fe, NM runs roughly 81% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Santa Fe, NM 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.

Expats usually find Santa Fe, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.