Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
139

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

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,868

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Santa Fe, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$16.79 $16.79

50.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.2 $67.2

50.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$10.05 $10.05

46.87%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.13 $5.13

26.71%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.84 $2.84

13.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.34 $2.34

34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$6.11 $6.11

30.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$7.14 $7.14

13.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.94 $0.94

24.47%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.14 $3.14

68.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.58 $4.58

39.74%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.15 $4.15

21.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.69 $11.69

60.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.72 $9.72

92.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$17.05 $17.05

34.19%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.71 $4.71

28.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.48 $1.48

31.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.82 $3.82

44.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.29 $4.29

51.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.25 $3.25

7.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.05 $2.05

60.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.00 $2.00

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.43 $2.43

6.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.72 $10.72

16.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$16.16 $16.16

-7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.12 $2.12

97.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.71 $3.71

56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.02 $1.02

199.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$19.97 $19.97

430.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.66 $3.66

-29.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.96 $1.96

-16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.25 $32.25

-6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.02 $1.02

38.24%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

38.83%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.74%

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

$308 $308

$159 $159

93.44%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$45.35 $45.35

52.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$73.4 $73.4

17.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$69.7 $69.7

9.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$13.16 $13.16

36.93%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,344 $1,344

104.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$15.5K $15.5K

97.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$55.3 $55.3

43.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.87 $42.87

26.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$78.6 $78.6

61.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$119 $119

33.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$2,172 $2,172

15.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,652 $1,652

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,059 $3,059

67.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,387 $2,387

48.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$6,231 $6,231

18.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,826 $3,826

30.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,927 $3,927

64.77%

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 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Fe, 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%

Santa Fe, NM

$1.7K 57.6% 14.8% $287

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.3% 30.4% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Santa Fe, NM

$278 9.7% 40% $185

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Santa Fe, NM

$292 10.2% 28.2% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Santa Fe, NM

$133 4.6% 29.4% $56

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Santa Fe, NM

$38 1.3% 70.9% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Santa Fe, NM

$96 3.4% 14.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM. 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $67 in Santa Fe, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $381 per month, with Santa Fe, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🕒 Local time

09:35 9:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

87,505

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Seattle, WA
Santa Fe, 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 Santa Fe, NM: 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.

Average pay runs 65% higher in Seattle, 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $2,172 in Santa Fe, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,785 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,868 in Santa Fe, NM – 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.