Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Cruces, NM: $2,078 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
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Las Cruces, NM Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,078

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,078 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Las Cruces, NM $2,078

A couple spends around $5,688 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,034 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Las Cruces, NM $3,034

A family of three spends $7,592 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,991 in Las Cruces, NM, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Las Cruces, NM $3,991

Seattle, WA costs about 82% more than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Las Cruces, NM sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Las Cruces, NM by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.17 $17.17

47.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$44.89 $44.89

124.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$11.92 $11.92

23.83%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.78 $5.78

12.46%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.38 $2.38

34.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.15 $2.15

46.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.49 $6.49

22.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.13 $9.13

-10.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.48 $3.48

52.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$3.57 $3.57

79.27%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.63 $4.63

9.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.25 $13.25

41.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$12.14 $12.14

54.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.48 $17.48

30.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.23 $4.23

43.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.04 $2.04

-4.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.46 $3.46

59.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.93 $3.93

65.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$2.23 $2.23

56.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.37 $2.37

38.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.81 $1.81

54.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.91 $1.91

35.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.79 $10.79

15.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.29 $15.29

-2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.44 $2.44

71.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.51 $3.51

65.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.36 $2.36

9.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.39 $2.39

-31.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.97 $0.97

45.36%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.6K $27.6K

33.26%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$24.7K $24.7K

7.81%

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

$308 $308

$174 $174

76.88%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$58.3 $58.3

18.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$89.7 $89.7

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$43.53 $43.53

75.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$10.77 $10.77

229.62%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$10.05 $10.05

79.30%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$672 $672

308.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.9 $59.9

32.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$31.94 $31.94

70.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$83.6 $83.6

51.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$103 $103

54.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$883 $883

184.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$854 $854

126.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$1,562 $1,562

227.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$1,431 $1,431

147.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$2,260 $2,260

226.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$1,875 $1,875

166.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,507 $3,507

84.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.36

8.33%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$854 41.1% 55.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Las Cruces, NM

$387 18.6% 29.2% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$322 15.5% 30.4% $141

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Las Cruces, NM

$311 15% 23.4% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Las Cruces, NM

$125 6% 33.6% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Las Cruces, NM

$14 * 0.7% 88.9% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Las Cruces, NM

$64 3.1% 43.4% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $883 in Las Cruces, 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 84% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $45 in Las Cruces, NM. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $547 vs $387 – making Las Cruces, NM the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

21:36 9:36 PM

22:36 10:36 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

111,385

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Las Cruces, NM 2,150 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Las Cruces, 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 Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 82% more than Las Cruces, 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 $5,677 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,117 in Las Cruces, NM. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Cruces, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $2,508 in Seattle, WA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $45 in Las Cruces, NM. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,785 in Seattle, WA and $2,078 in Las Cruces, NM. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

If budget matters most, go with Las Cruces, NM. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.