Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Silver City, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Silver City, NM: $2,550 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
124

Cost of Living Index in Silver City, NM
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Silver City, NM Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Silver City, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,550 in Silver City, NM.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Silver City, NM $2,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,732 in Silver City, NM.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Silver City, NM $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,915 in Silver City, NM.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Silver City, NM $4,915

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Silver City, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Silver City, NM 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$19.28 $19.28

27.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$80.2 $80.2

22.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$12.98 $12.98

13.94%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$5.22 $5.22

24.90%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.70 $2.70

19.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.42 $1.42

123.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.20 $7.20

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.80 $6.80

18.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$0.80 $0.80

51.25%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.36 $3.36

52.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$2.56 $2.56

136.33%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$4.79 $4.79

1.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$13.57 $13.57

41.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.89 $10.89

73.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$16.97 $16.97

37.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.45 $4.45

34.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.71 $1.71

12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.93 $3.93

33.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.09 $4.09

60.64%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.54 $2.54

42.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.48 $2.48

33.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.16 $2.16

28.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.51 $1.51

66.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.07 $11.07

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$13.25 $13.25

11.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.55 $2.55

65.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.69 $3.69

56.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.30 $2.30

28.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.77 $2.77

-4.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.41 $1.41

21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$35.48 $35.48

-16.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.92 $0.92

61.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$36.1K $36.1K

-0.44%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$22.1K $22.1K

18.73%

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

$302 $302

$201 $201

50.28%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$62.0 $62.0

13.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$74.4 $74.4

14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.48 $40.48

92.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$12.95 $12.95

37.76%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$1,082 $1,082

174.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$15.4K $15.4K

103.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$54.6 $54.6

40.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$44.50 $44.50

21.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$97.1 $97.1

31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$112 $112

45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,075 $1,075

127.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,294 $1,294

50.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,976 $1,976

140.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$2,127 $2,127

63.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,917 $1,917

284.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$1,946 $1,946

163.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$2,949 $2,949

120.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.44

6.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Silver City, 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%

Silver City, NM

$1.3K 50.8% 33.5% $652

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Silver City, NM

$372 14.6% 31.9% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Silver City, NM

$337 13.2% 26.2% $120

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Silver City, NM

$322 12.6% 19.5% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Silver City, NM

$139 5.5% 27% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Silver City, NM

$19 * 0.8% 85.3% $110

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Silver City, NM

$66 2.6% 41.5% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,075 in Silver City, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 121% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $80.0 in Silver City, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $372 per month, with Silver City, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Silver City, NM

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

9,700

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Silver City, NM 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Silver City, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Silver City, NM is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 121% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,075 in Silver City, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $1,082 in Silver City, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Silver City, NM – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,550 in Silver City, NM versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Silver City, NM but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Silver City, NM the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Silver City, NM is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Silver City, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.