Should you visit Albuquerque or Seattle?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the prices of travel for Albuquerque and Seattle. We’ll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget. So, let's dig into it.
Albuquerque
Albuquerque is a large city in the middle of the desert, right in the heart of New Mexico. It's the largest city in the state and has a lot to offer visitors. The city has a quaint downtown with a handful of good shops and restaurants. The surrounding area is quite beautiful and every fall the city hosts a famous and spectacular hot air balloon festival.
Seattle
Situated on the Puget Sound in the state of Washington, Seattle is the largest city in the United States Pacific Northwest. It's a beautiful city surrounded by the water and mountains and filled with evergreen trees. It's also the home of some famous American institutions including Starbucks Coffee, Amazon, and Microsoft. The population of almost 700,000 continues to grow. As of 2014, the city was considered the fastest growing major city in the United States. The entire metropolitan area has about 3.6 million residents, making it the 15th largest metro area in the US. The natural beauty, growing economy, and educational base give Seattle a youthful vibe that keep the city young and energetic.
Which city is cheaper, Seattle or Albuquerque?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Albuquerque is $72, while the average daily cost in Seattle is $156. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Albuquerque and Seattle in more detail.
Accommodation
For a normal double-occupancy room in Albuquerque, $50 is the average cost for a hotel room. Also in Albuquerque, the typical price for a place to stay for one person is $25, such as in a hostel.
A hotel room in Seattle is about $188 This assumes double occupancy and modest accommodations.
Food
Albuquerque food costs typically run travelers around $20 per day. Eating every meal in a nicer restaurant will drive the cost up, and grabbing fast food or casual meals will help you save money.
The price of a meal in Seattle can vary widely. However, the average price for food per day is $38 per person, and a typical meal will cost around $15 based on the spending of previous visitors. Less expensive dining options can be found by eating street food or at fast food restaurants.
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Food
Meals for one day
Albuquerque $20
Seattle $38
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Albuquerque
For Albuquerque, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
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The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Dinner Show - Albuquerque:
$71
Typical Food prices in Seattle
Some typical examples of dining costs in Seattle are as follows:
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Expresso & cookie at Pier 70
$7.00
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Cashews at Pike Place Market
$6.00
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6 Mini Donuts at Pike Place Market
$3.25
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Chinese Lunch in International District (for 2)
$21
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Breakfast at Lowel's in Pike Place Market (for 2)
$32
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Breakfast at French Cafe (for 2)
$37
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Seattle
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Seattle.
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Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market- 1 Hour:
$34
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Pike Place Market: Walking Food Tour:
$48
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Pike Place Market Chef-Guided Food Tour:
$56
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Chef Guided Food Tour of Pike Place Market- 2 Hours:
$58
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Pacific Northwest-Style Dinner and Pairing in Seattle:
$61
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Exclusive: Early-Access Food Tour of Pike Place Market:
$73
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Street Theater and Dinner in Seattle's Fremont District:
$86
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Seattle Dinner Cruise:
$115
Local Transportation
To get around in Albuquerque, the average visitor spends $42 per day, per person. This includes the costs of taxi rides and private drivers as well as public transportation, which tends to be much more affordable.
While taxis and private drivers typically cost much more than public transportation, people usually spend around $18 per day to get around in Seattle.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Albuquerque
Also for Albuquerque, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
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Albuquerque International Airport One Way Transfer:
$48
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Private Departure Transfer To Albuquerque Airport ABQ:
$49
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Private Arrival Transfer from Albuquerque Airport (ABQ):
$81
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Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) to Albuquerque - Arrival Private Transfer:
$88
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Albuquerque to Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) - Departure Private Transfer:
$88
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Albuquerque Airport (ABQ) to Albuquerque - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$177
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Private Transfer: Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) to Albuquerque:
$622
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Private Transfer: Albuquerque to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ):
$622
Typical Local Transportation prices in Seattle
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Seattle:
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Seattle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Seattle:
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Seattle to Whistler Private Transfer:
$1,076
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Private transfer from Seattle or Sea-Tac Seattle Airport to Vancouver, BC:
$1,023
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Private Transfer from Seattle or Sea-Tac Seattle Airport to Vancouver, BC:
$894
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Private transfer: Seattle to Seattle Airport (SEA):
$622
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One-Way Seattle Private Transfer up to 12 Pax: Cruises, Sea-Tac, Hotels:
$319
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Seattle Roundtrip Chauffeur Driven Airport Transfer by Private Van:
$210
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Departure Private Transfer Seattle or Cruise Port to Seattle Airport SEA Minibus:
$195
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Arrival Private Transfer Seattle Airport SEA to Seattle or Cruise Port - Minibus:
$195
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Seattle Tacoma Airport (SEA) to Seattle - Round-Trip Private Transfer:
$184
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RoundTrip Transfer in Private Minivan from-to Tacoma Airport in Seattle Downtown:
$169
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Low Cost Private Transfer From Seattle Tacoma International Airport to Seattle City - One Way:
$149
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Seattle Airport Transfers : Seattle City to Seattle Airport SEA in Luxury Car:
$149
Entertainment
In Albuquerque, the costs for things to do, activities, admission tickets, and other sightseeing expenses are on average $25 per person, per day.
Activities, things to do, and other forms of entertainment usually cost around $12 per person, per day in Seattle. This cost includes the price of admission tickets to attractions and museums as well as daily tours.
Tours and Activities in Albuquerque
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Albuquerque.
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Breaking Bad RV Virtural Tour:
$13
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Albuquerque Scavenger Hunt Adventure:
$21
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The Ghost Tour of Old Town on New Mexico's oldest Ghost Walk - Since 2001:
$35
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12pm - Public High Noon History, Legends & Lore Tour - Guided Old Town Stroll:
$35
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VIP PRIVATE History, Legends & Lore Tour - Guided Old Town Stroll = 10a-2p-4p-6p:
$43
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ABQ NM Film locations Tour, tour your favorite movies/shows filmed in ABQ:
$45
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Guided Bicycle Nature Tour of Albuquerque - Daily:
$69
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Mezcla de Culturas A Walking Tour of ABQ Sawmill District & Historic Old Town:
$75
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Small-Group E-Bike Tour in Albuquerque:
$79
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Breaking Bad RV Tour, visiting locations from Breaking Bad and Better call Saul:
$80
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New Mexico Flavors Tour Of Old Town Albuquerque:
$124
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Private Tour: Albuquerque Half Day:
$175
Tours and Activities in Seattle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Seattle are as follows:
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20-Minute Greater Seattle Scenic Airplane Tour:
$102
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3-Day Seattle Olympic+Mount Rainier National Park tour(Seattle departure) APOR3:
$285
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3-Hour Seattle City Tour:
$80
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4-Hour Seattle City Tour:
$77
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5-Day Yellowstone+Grand Teton National Park Tour ( Seattle departure ) SYG5:
$615
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A Feast for Foodies Walking Tour In Seattle:
$201
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Afternoon 3-Hour Seattle City Tour:
$76
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Bainbridge Island Wine and History - Private Luxury Day Tour with Lunch:
$450
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Bainbridge Island Wine and History Luxury Small-Group Day Tour with Lunch:
$249
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Beneath The Streets Underground History Tour:
$29
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Best of Mount Rainier National Park from All-Inclusive Small-Group Tour:
$263
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Best of Olympic National Park from All-Inclusive Small-Group Day Tour:
$263
Alcohol
The average person spends about $13 on alcoholic beverages in Seattle per day. The more you spend on alcohol, the more fun you might be having despite your higher budget.
Sample the Local Flavors in Seattle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Seattle:
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Seattle Bar Hunt: Sleepless in Seattle Bar Crawl:
$12
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Haunted Seattle Ghost and Pub Walking Tour:
$27
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Georgetown Brewery Tour:
$72
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Bon Vivant Woodinville Wine Tasting Tour:
$98
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Half-Day Coffee, Chocolate, and Wine Tour:
$99
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Seattle Coffee, Chocolate and Wine Tour:
$112
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Seattle Wine Tour (Hourly):
$135
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7-Hour Wenatchee White Water Rafting and Wine Tour:
$145
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From Snoqualmie Falls & Woodinville Wine Tasting:
$209
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Seattle All-Inclusive: Hike Mt. Rainier and Wine Tasting:
$263
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Albuquerque and Seattle, we can see that Seattle is more expensive. And not only is Albuquerque much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Albuquerque would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Albuquerque and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Seattle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Seattle than you might in Albuquerque.
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