Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Taos, NM: $2,755 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
133

Cost of Living Index in Taos, NM
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Taos, NM Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Taos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,755

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $2,755 in Taos, NM.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Taos, NM $2,755

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,133 in Taos, NM.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Taos, NM $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,511 in Taos, NM.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Taos, NM $5,511

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Taos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Taos, NM 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$17.33 $17.33

45.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$68.8 $68.8

46.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$9.29 $9.29

58.88%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$3.94 $3.94

64.97%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$2.31 $2.31

38.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.20 $2.20

42.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.98 $4.98

60.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.38 $5.38

51.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.84 $0.84

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.05 $3.05

73.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.33 $4.33

47.81%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$3.97 $3.97

27.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$11.98 $11.98

56.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.28 $9.28

101.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$10.89 $10.89

110.10%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.78 $4.78

26.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.47 $1.47

32.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.07 $4.07

35.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.18 $5.18

25.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.16 $3.16

10.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.37 $3.37

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.03 $2.03

37.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.57 $2.57

0.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$10.91 $10.91

14.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.91 $13.91

6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.38 $2.38

76.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.12 $3.12

85.90%

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

$3.63 $3.63

-28.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.95 $1.95

-15.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

$32.25 $32.25

-6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.95 $0.95

48.42%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.5K $29.5K

24.84%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$25.6K $25.6K

3.75%

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

$308 $308

$155 $155

98.27%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$63.3 $63.3

9.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$61.5 $61.5

40.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$94.3 $94.3

-18.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$8.90 $8.90

102.47%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,320 $1,320

107.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

$25.4K $25.4K

20.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$54.2 $54.2

45.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$44.09 $44.09

23.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$105 $105

20.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$119 $119

33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,802 $1,802

39.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,574 $1,574

23.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,577 $3,577

43.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,887 $2,887

22.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$3,810 $3,810

93.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,800 $3,800

31.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$2,716 $2,716

138.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.3

9.37%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Taos, NM: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Taos, NM

$1.6K 57.1% 18.8% $365

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Taos, NM

$363 13.2% 33.6% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Taos, NM

$280 10.2% 39.5% $183

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Taos, NM

$268 9.7% 34.2% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Taos, NM

$145 5.3% 23% $43

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Taos, NM

$13 * 0.5% 89.6% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Taos, NM

$112 4.1% 0.4% $0.4

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,802 in Taos, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $69 in Taos, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $363 per month, with Taos, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Taos, NM

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

6,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Seattle, WA Taos, NM 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Taos, NM is about 27% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.4 times higher, 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 $1,802 in Taos, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,320 in Taos, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taos, NM – a meal for two runs $69 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Taos, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Taos, NM wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.