Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Farmington, NM: $3,273 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
158

Cost of Living Index in Farmington, NM
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Farmington, NM Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Farmington, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$3,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $3,273 in Farmington, NM.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Farmington, NM $3,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $4,363 in Farmington, NM.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Farmington, NM $4,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $5,453 in Farmington, NM.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Farmington, NM $5,453

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Farmington, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Farmington, NM 142% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.90 $19.90

23.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$49.34 $49.34

99.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.01 $12.01

23.15%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$6.06 $6.06

7.59%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.42 $2.42

33.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.66 $1.66

90.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.90 $7.90

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$13.34 $13.34

-39.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.98 $0.98

23.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.39 $3.39

51.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.43 $4.43

36.57%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.14 $4.14

17.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$7.31 $7.31

162.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$13.09 $13.09

44.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.86 $16.86

38.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.03 $3.03

97.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.65 $1.65

16.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.20 $4.20

25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.80 $4.80

36.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.82 $2.82

28.37%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.91 $2.91

13.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.17 $2.17

28.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.29 $2.29

9.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.21 $10.21

19.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$15.19 $15.19

-2.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.10 $2.10

100.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.14 $3.14

83.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.02 $2.02

46.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$29.47 $29.47

260.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.73 $2.73

-2.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.96 $1.96

-12.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$27.39 $27.39

8.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.10 $1.10

35.45%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$31.1K $31.1K

15.43%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$24.8K $24.8K

5.96%

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

$302 $302

$397 $397

-24.02%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$57.7 $57.7

21.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$115 $115

-25.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$42.26 $42.26

84.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.99 $12.99

37.34%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,444 $1,444

105.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$21.4K $21.4K

46.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.6 $53.6

42.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$40.64 $40.64

33.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$87.2 $87.2

46.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$116 $116

42.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,715 $1,715

42.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,721 $1,721

13.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$2,577 $2,577

84.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,472 $2,472

40.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$2,147 $2,147

243.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$2,140 $2,140

139.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$7,129 $7,129

-8.74%

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 Farmington, NM: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Farmington, NM

$1.7K 52.6% 11.6% $226

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Farmington, NM

$379 11.6% 30.5% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Farmington, NM

$570 17.4% 24.6% $112

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Farmington, NM

$351 10.7% 12.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Farmington, NM

$134 4.1% 29.8% $57

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Farmington, NM

$50 1.5% 61.3% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Farmington, NM

$68 2.1% 39.9% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,715 in Farmington, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Farmington, NM pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $49.00 in Farmington, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $379 per month, with Farmington, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Farmington, NM

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

18,207

💱 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 Farmington, NM 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Farmington, 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

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

Farmington, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Farmington, NM the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Farmington, 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,715 in Farmington, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,444 in Farmington, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Farmington, NM is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Farmington, NM delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,273 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Farmington, NM hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Farmington, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.