Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
184

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

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Calgary and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

Calgary $2,232
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,363 in Calgary versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

Calgary $3,363
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,493 in Calgary versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

Calgary $4,493
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in Calgary costs roughly 40% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 67% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 CA$24.49

$24.56 $24.56

-29.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$101

$99.5 $99.5

-28.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.02

$15.30 $15.30

-30.98%

Cappuccino

$3.77 CA$5.37

$6.62 $6.62

-43.05%

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

$1.91 CA$2.72

$3.25 $3.25

-41.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 CA$2.62

$3.11 $3.11

-40.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 CA$6.92

$7.77 $7.77

-37.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 CA$7.90

$7.93 $7.93

-30.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 CA$2.67

$1.21 $1.21

55.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 CA$3.88

$4.94 $4.94

-44.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.34 CA$7.60

$6.17 $6.17

-13.45%

Eggs

$3.77 CA$5.36

$4.96 $4.96

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 CA$16.06

$19.00 $19.00

-40.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.46 CA$16.30

$18.69 $18.69

-38.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.26 CA$25.97

$23.14 $23.14

-21.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 CA$6.60

$5.93 $5.93

-21.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 CA$2.04

$1.94 $1.94

-25.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 CA$6.01

$5.19 $5.19

-18.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 CA$5.49

$6.55 $6.55

-41.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 CA$3.73

$3.62 $3.62

-27.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CA$3.78

$3.16 $3.16

-15.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 CA$3.68

$2.91 $2.91

-11.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CA$2.18

$2.38 $2.38

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.26 CA$20.28

$12.36 $12.36

15.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.27 CA$21.71

$15.02 $15.02

1.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.43

$4.30 $4.30

-43.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 CA$4.40

$5.69 $5.69

-45.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 CA$4.10

$3.05 $3.05

-5.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.7 CA$126

$109 $109

-18.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 CA$4.60

$2.64 $2.64

22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.74 $1.74

-20.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.49 CA$37.67

$30.02 $30.02

-11.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.46 $1.46

-19.18%

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

$28.3K CA$40.2K

$36.7K $36.7K

-23.05%

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

$20.7K CA$29.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-19.29%

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

$159 CA$227

$299 $299

-46.81%

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

$37.61 CA$53.5

$69.7 $69.7

-46.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.68 CA$70.7

$90.1 $90.1

-44.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 CA$75.7

$80.0 $80.0

-33.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 CA$26.04

$35.62 $35.62

-48.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.08 CA$20.02

$17.33 $17.33

-18.75%

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

$809 CA$1,151

$2,986 $2,986

-72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K CA$22.5K

$31.3K $31.3K

-49.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 CA$83.6

$77.7 $77.7

-24.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.84 CA$55.2

$54.9 $54.9

-29.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 CA$130

$126 $126

-27.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$155

$165 $165

-33.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 CA$1,760

$2,407 $2,407

-48.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$996 CA$1,417

$1,963 $1,963

-49.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 CA$2,714

$4,788 $4,788

-60.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CA$2,377

$3,561 $3,561

-53.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,530 CA$5,022

$7,430 $7,430

-52.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,336 CA$4,745

$5,010 $5,010

-33.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,130 CA$4,452

$6,280 $6,280

-50.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

6.85

-34.16%

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

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$996 44.8%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 97.1% $967

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$387 17.4%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 39.7% $154

Eating Out

Calgary

$265 11.9%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 51.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$247 11.1%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 86.3% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$134 6%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 42.1% $57

Getting Around

Calgary

$110 5%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 19.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$81 3.7%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 40.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,237 in Calgary and $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 101% 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: $71.0 in Calgary vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $541 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

21:40 9:40 PM

20:40 8:40 PM

1 h behind Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Calgary Seattle, WA 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Seattle, WA

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Calgary vs Seattle, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Seattle, WA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,237 in Calgary versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,232 per month in Calgary versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.