Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between London and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,312 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index

Jump to prices

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in London versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA.

London $2,312
Seattle, WA $3,744

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,278 in London versus $5,703 in Seattle, WA.

London $3,278
Seattle, WA $5,703

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,243 in London versus $7,661 in Seattle, WA.

London $4,243
Seattle, WA $7,661

Living in London costs roughly 38% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: London 73% above, Seattle, WA 179% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.22 CA$30.24

$24.56 $24.56

-13.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 CA$89.3

$99.5 $99.5

-37.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.36 CA$17.61

$15.30 $15.30

-19.22%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.20

$6.62 $6.62

-44.86%

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

$2.18 CA$3.10

$3.25 $3.25

-32.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.94

$3.11 $3.11

-33.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.47 CA$9.22

$7.77 $7.77

-16.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 CA$9.23

$7.93 $7.93

-18.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 CA$2.78

$1.21 $1.21

61.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$4.94 $4.94

-47.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 CA$5.62

$6.17 $6.17

-36.14%

Eggs

$3.74 CA$5.34

$4.96 $4.96

-24.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.83 CA$14.02

$19.00 $19.00

-48.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$18.69 $18.69

-39.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.02 CA$21.40

$23.14 $23.14

-35.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$6.04

$5.93 $5.93

-28.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.84

$1.94 $1.94

-33.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 CA$5.49

$5.19 $5.19

-25.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.79

$6.55 $6.55

-38.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.17 CA$4.53

$3.62 $3.62

-12.43%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.31

$3.16 $3.16

-4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.68

$2.91 $2.91

-11.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 CA$2.09

$2.38 $2.38

-38.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 CA$17.08

$12.36 $12.36

-3.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 CA$17.82

$15.02 $15.02

-16.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.43

$4.30 $4.30

-44.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.09

$5.69 $5.69

-49.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 CA$3.22

$3.05 $3.05

-25.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 CA$110

$109 $109

-28.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 CA$3.58

$2.64 $2.64

-4.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 CA$2.29

$1.74 $1.74

-8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.83 CA$31.11

$30.02 $30.02

-27.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.46 $1.46

-19.86%

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

$27.8K CA$39.6K

$36.7K $36.7K

-24.41%

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

$22.7K CA$32.4K

$25.7K $25.7K

-11.42%

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

$135 CA$193

$299 $299

-54.89%

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

$39.06 CA$55.7

$69.7 $69.7

-43.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.4 CA$80.3

$90.1 $90.1

-37.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.00 CA$52.7

$80.0 $80.0

-53.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.27 CA$40.29

$35.62 $35.62

-20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.84

$17.33 $17.33

-39.93%

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

$407 CA$579

$2,986 $2,986

-86.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K CA$28.8K

$31.3K $31.3K

-35.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 CA$74.1

$77.7 $77.7

-33.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 CA$54.3

$54.9 $54.9

-30.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.8 CA$118

$126 $126

-34.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.7 CA$129

$165 $165

-45.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 CA$1,810

$2,407 $2,407

-47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 CA$1,636

$1,963 $1,963

-41.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 CA$2,870

$4,788 $4,788

-57.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 CA$2,428

$3,561 $3,561

-52.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,440 CA$4,904

$7,430 $7,430

-53.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,519 CA$5,015

$5,010 $5,010

-29.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,882 CA$4,108

$6,280 $6,280

-54.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.85

-31.09%

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

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

London

$1.1K 49.4%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 71.1% $815

Groceries & Markets

London

$358 15.4%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 51% $183

Eating Out

London

$313 13.5%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 28.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

London

$230 9.9%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 99.3% $229

Clothing & Footwear

London

$119 5.1%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 60.7% $72

Getting Around

London

$97 4.2%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 36.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

London

$58 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 98.3% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,270 in London and $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 118% 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 London vs $99.0 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $541 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 London

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

10:15 10:15 AM

07:15 7:15 AM

3 h behind London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

383,822

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

London Seattle, WA 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

London
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

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

London is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 118% 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: $1,270 in London versus $2,407 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in London versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in London runs roughly 40% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,312 in London versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in London but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes London the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, London 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.

Safety-wise, London and Seattle, WA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.