Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Iqaluit, NU: $2,934 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
185

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

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA.

Iqaluit, NU $2,934
Seattle, WA $3,800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU versus $5,702 in Seattle, WA.

Iqaluit, NU $4,585
Seattle, WA $5,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU versus $7,603 in Seattle, WA.

Iqaluit, NU $6,236
Seattle, WA $7,603

Living in Iqaluit, NU costs roughly 23% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 117% above, Seattle, WA 182% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.82 CA$38.07

$25.32 $25.32

5.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$89.9

$101 $101

-37.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 CA$18.32

$14.85 $14.85

-13.06%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CA$9.96

$6.59 $6.59

6.53%

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

$3.71 CA$5.27

$3.22 $3.22

15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.30

$3.14 $3.14

-48.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.55

$8.18 $8.18

-17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CA$7.73

$8.03 $8.03

-32.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.46

$1.21 $1.21

101.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.62

$5.12 $5.12

-50.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.52

$6.30 $6.30

-49.52%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.84

$4.90 $4.90

-30.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.79

$19.10 $19.10

-49.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.55

$18.50 $18.50

-29.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.56

$23.03 $23.03

-37.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.25

$5.81 $5.81

-36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.89

$1.95 $1.95

-31.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.08

$5.29 $5.29

-32.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.40

$6.48 $6.48

-41.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.42

$3.57 $3.57

-32.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.07

$3.15 $3.15

-31.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.36

$2.85 $2.85

-16.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$2.42 $2.42

-34.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.70

$12.75 $12.75

8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$18.19

$14.99 $14.99

-14.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.61

$4.17 $4.17

-39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.26

$5.99 $5.99

-49.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.16

$3.04 $3.04

-26.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.3

$110 $110

-44.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 CA$9.32

$2.55 $2.55

157.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.64 $1.64

-15.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 CA$28.68

$29.58 $29.58

-31.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.61

$1.42 $1.42

-19.72%

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

$38.0K CA$54.0K

$35.7K $35.7K

6.35%

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

$30.1K CA$42.7K

$25.6K $25.6K

17.70%

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

$114 CA$162

$299 $299

-61.94%

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

$38.71 CA$55.0

$70.8 $70.8

-45.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$76.1

$88.3 $88.3

-39.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 CA$57.6

$79.5 $79.5

-48.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$25.00

$35.37 $35.37

-50.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 CA$11.49

$17.12 $17.12

-52.75%

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

$755 CA$1,072

$3,013 $3,013

-74.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.5K

$31.6K $31.6K

-58.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.8

$77.2 $77.2

-31.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 CA$54.2

$55.1 $55.1

-30.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$126 $126

-31.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$163 $163

-37.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 CA$2,485

$2,464 $2,464

-28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CA$2,413

$1,956 $1,956

-13.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 CA$4,084

$4,711 $4,711

-38.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 CA$4,894

$3,550 $3,550

-2.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 CA$6,035

$7,346 $7,346

-42.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 CA$5,003

$5,048 $5,048

-30.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 CA$5,869

$6,286 $6,286

-34.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

6.85

-22.34%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 15% $256

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 1.3% $5.2

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 51.1% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 122% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 50.9% $64

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 58.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 100% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU and $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 52% 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: $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $101 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $542 per month, with Iqaluit, NU cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:04 12:04 AM

21:04 9:04 PM

3 h behind Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.705 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 16, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.705 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Seattle, WA 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
Seattle, WA

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

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

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

Iqaluit, NU is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,464 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,013 in Seattle, WA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Iqaluit, NU is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Iqaluit, NU 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 Iqaluit, NU gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.