Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort McMurray and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Fort McMurray: $2,242 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Fort McMurray
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Fort McMurray Living Index
185

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

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Fort McMurray

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,242

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,242 per month in Fort McMurray vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Fort McMurray $2,242
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $3,323 per month in Fort McMurray vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Fort McMurray $3,323
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $4,404 per month in Fort McMurray vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Fort McMurray $4,404
Seattle, WA $7,603

Fort McMurray is about 41% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fort McMurray and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Fort McMurray by 66%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.90 CA$29.54

$25.32 $25.32

-17.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$101 $101

-44.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 CA$19.50

$14.85 $14.85

-7.14%

Cappuccino

$3.88 CA$5.49

$6.59 $6.59

-41.12%

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

$2.37 CA$3.35

$3.22 $3.22

-26.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$3.14 $3.14

-51.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$8.18 $8.18

-29.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 CA$7.53

$8.03 $8.03

-33.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.21 $1.21

16.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 CA$3.82

$5.12 $5.12

-47.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.27

$6.30 $6.30

-52.06%

Eggs

$2.98 CA$4.21

$4.90 $4.90

-39.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.00 CA$18.38

$19.10 $19.10

-31.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 CA$18.39

$18.50 $18.50

-29.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 CA$27.99

$23.03 $23.03

-14.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.28

$5.81 $5.81

-23.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 CA$1.78

$1.95 $1.95

-35.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 CA$7.33

$5.29 $5.29

-1.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 CA$9.34

$6.48 $6.48

1.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 CA$5.17

$3.57 $3.57

2.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$3.15 $3.15

25.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.99 CA$4.22

$2.85 $2.85

4.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.93

$2.42 $2.42

-43.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$22.13

$12.75 $12.75

22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.09 CA$19.92

$14.99 $14.99

-6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.24 CA$5.99

$4.17 $4.17

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.49 CA$4.93

$5.99 $5.99

-41.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$3.04 $3.04

-54.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 CA$69.9

$110 $110

-55.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$2.55 $2.55

40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 CA$1.57

$1.64 $1.64

-32.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.27 CA$45.62

$29.58 $29.58

9.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.42 $1.42

-25.35%

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

$27.3K CA$38.6K

$35.7K $35.7K

-23.67%

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

$21.2K CA$29.9K

$25.6K $25.6K

-17.25%

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

$190 CA$269

$299 $299

-36.32%

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

$48.41 CA$68.4

$70.8 $70.8

-31.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$86.4

$88.3 $88.3

-30.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.19 CA$61.1

$79.5 $79.5

-45.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.77 CA$12.40

$35.37 $35.37

-75.20%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 CA$17.62

$17.12 $17.12

-27.22%

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

$559 CA$790

$3,013 $3,013

-81.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 CA$93.8

$77.2 $77.2

-14.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.33 CA$49.95

$55.1 $55.1

-35.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CA$109

$126 $126

-38.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 CA$120

$163 $163

-47.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 CA$1,281

$2,464 $2,464

-63.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$965 CA$1,364

$1,956 $1,956

-50.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 CA$2,250

$4,711 $4,711

-66.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 CA$2,340

$3,550 $3,550

-53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,598 CA$3,673

$7,346 $7,346

-64.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 CA$2,636

$5,048 $5,048

-63.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,042 CA$4,300

$6,286 $6,286

-51.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.77

6.85

-30.36%

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

Last update for Fort McMurray: October 12, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort McMurray

$965 43%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 103% $991

Groceries & Markets

Fort McMurray

$416 18.6%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 30.3% $126

Eating Out

Fort McMurray

$310 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 31.8% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort McMurray

$300 13.4%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 52.7% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Fort McMurray

$119 5.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 59.2% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Fort McMurray

$68 3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 67% $46

Getting Around

Fort McMurray

$64 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 108% $69

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $906 in Fort McMurray versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 107% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $56.0 in Fort McMurray versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $416 vs $542 – making Fort McMurray the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Fort McMurray

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

1 h behind Fort McMurray

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,573

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Fort McMurray Seattle, WA 1,260 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Fort McMurray
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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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,242 in Fort McMurray, $3,800 in Seattle, WA – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,362 per month in Fort McMurray and $5,701 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Fort McMurray, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,242 in Fort McMurray and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 70%.

Public transport costs about 123% less in Fort McMurray. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Fort McMurray, where all-in costs run around $2,242, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Fort McMurray it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,242 in Fort McMurray to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Fort McMurray. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.