Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
114

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Albuquerque, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,342

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Seattle, WA costs about 62% more than Albuquerque, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.34 $17.34

41.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$68.1 $68.1

44.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.89 $9.89

49.54%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$4.96 $4.96

31.45%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.88 $2.88

12.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.42 $2.42

30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.90 $5.90

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$8.23 $8.23

-2.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.99 $0.99

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.15 $3.15

63.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.54 $4.54

33.26%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.75 $4.75

2.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$11.63 $11.63

64.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.21 $9.21

105.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$20.29 $20.29

14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.69 $4.69

27.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.48 $1.48

30.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.15 $4.15

26.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.32 $5.32

23.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.28 $3.28

10.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.37 $3.37

-1.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.04 $2.04

36.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.79 $2.79

-10.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.72 $10.72

13.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$14.24 $14.24

4.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.46 $2.46

71.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.64 $3.64

58.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$4.01 $4.01

2549.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.62 $3.62

-26.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.04 $2.04

-15.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$32.35 $32.35

-8.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.96 $0.96

55.21%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$29.0K $29.0K

23.76%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$25.1K $25.1K

4.45%

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

$302 $302

$155 $155

95.29%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$62.9 $62.9

11.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$73.0 $73.0

16.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$49.09 $49.09

58.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$14.40 $14.40

140.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.79 $12.79

39.48%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,487 $1,487

99.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

23.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.4 $53.4

43.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$43.87 $43.87

23.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$106 $106

20.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$117 $117

39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,173 $1,173

108.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,117 $1,117

74.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,267 $2,267

109.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,943 $1,943

78.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,466 $2,466

198.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,257 $2,257

127.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$4,016 $4,016

62.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.57

4.87%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Albuquerque, NM: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Albuquerque, NM

$1.1K 47.7% 42.6% $829

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Albuquerque, NM

$402 17.2% 26.3% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Albuquerque, NM

$290 12.4% 36.5% $167

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Albuquerque, NM

$295 12.6% 26.2% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Albuquerque, NM

$144 6.2% 24.1% $46

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Albuquerque, NM

$18 * 0.8% 86.2% $111

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Albuquerque, NM

$75 3.2% 34.2% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,445 in Seattle, WA 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.

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Albuquerque, NM

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

564,559

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
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

Seattle, WA vs Albuquerque, NM: 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 $5,673 per month in Seattle, WA 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 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 $3,782 in Seattle, WA and $2,342 in Albuquerque, NM. 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.