Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between North Vancouver and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in North Vancouver: $2,792 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in North Vancouver
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North Vancouver Living Index
182

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

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North Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,792

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,792 in North Vancouver versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

North Vancouver $2,792
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,190 in North Vancouver versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

North Vancouver $4,190
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,588 in North Vancouver versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

North Vancouver $5,588
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in North Vancouver costs roughly 26% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: North Vancouver 107% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.53 CA$30.28

$23.80 $23.80

-9.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 CA$90.8

$98.6 $98.6

-34.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.20 CA$12.93

$14.94 $14.94

-38.42%

Cappuccino

$4.34 CA$6.10

$6.79 $6.79

-36.08%

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

$2.26 CA$3.17

$3.23 $3.23

-30.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 CA$2.42

$3.15 $3.15

-45.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 CA$6.94

$8.21 $8.21

-39.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.22 CA$8.75

$7.87 $7.87

-20.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 CA$2.82

$1.17 $1.17

70.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.07

$5.29 $5.29

-45.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.77

$5.76 $5.76

-41.15%

Eggs

$3.14 CA$4.42

$4.89 $4.89

-35.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 CA$19.56

$20.25 $20.25

-31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.70

$17.95 $17.95

-21.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 CA$22.00

$23.35 $23.35

-32.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 CA$5.86

$5.94 $5.94

-29.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.89 $1.89

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.16

$5.35 $5.35

-18.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.88

$6.57 $6.57

-36.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 CA$4.10

$3.39 $3.39

-14.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$4.00

$2.88 $2.88

-1.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 CA$3.94

$2.89 $2.89

-3.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$2.98

$2.43 $2.43

-12.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.14

$12.18 $12.18

17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.15 CA$19.90

$15.24 $15.24

-7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 CA$3.02

$4.38 $4.38

-50.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 CA$3.93

$5.89 $5.89

-52.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.62

$2.96 $2.96

-13.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 CA$144

$109 $109

-6.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.80

$2.52 $2.52

7.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.72 $1.72

-11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 CA$38.82

$29.70 $29.70

-7.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.51 $1.51

-15.23%

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

$28.0K CA$39.4K

$36.2K $36.2K

-22.50%

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

$20.8K CA$29.2K

$25.7K $25.7K

-19.14%

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

$128 CA$180

$289 $289

-55.59%

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

$37.76 CA$53.1

$69.1 $69.1

-45.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.56 CA$68.3

$84.8 $84.8

-42.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.51 CA$38.69

$69.4 $69.4

-60.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.73 CA$34.78

$35.05 $35.05

-29.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.29 CA$17.29

$17.97 $17.97

-31.61%

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

$1,049 CA$1,475

$2,819 $2,819

-62.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K CA$18.3K

$43.9K $43.9K

-70.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 CA$91.5

$91.2 $91.2

-28.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 CA$54.6

$55.1 $55.1

-29.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 CA$116

$127 $127

-35.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 CA$156

$162 $162

-31.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 CA$2,779

$2,579 $2,579

-23.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 CA$2,203

$1,943 $1,943

-19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 CA$4,757

$5,100 $5,100

-33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,800 CA$3,938

$3,541 $3,541

-20.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,282 CA$11.6K

$7,357 $7,357

12.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,889 CA$8,282

$4,921 $4,921

19.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,142 CA$4,419

$6,448 $6,448

-51.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

6.8

-31.03%

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

Last update for North Vancouver: October 31, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

North Vancouver

$1.6K 56.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 24% $376

Groceries & Markets

North Vancouver

$397 14.2%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 36.9% $147

Eating Out

North Vancouver

$305 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 30.9% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

North Vancouver

$215 7.7%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 106% $228

Clothing & Footwear

North Vancouver

$134 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 46.7% $62

Getting Around

North Vancouver

$123 4.4%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 7.6% $9.3

Sport & Entertainment

North Vancouver

$52 1.9%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 102% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,976 in North Vancouver and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in North Vancouver vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $544 per month, with North Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 North Vancouver

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:14 7:14 PM

18:14 6:14 PM

1 h behind North Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

48,200

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,792 in North Vancouver and $3,762 in Seattle, WA, so North Vancouver is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in North Vancouver. 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: $1,976 in North Vancouver versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in North Vancouver – a meal for two runs $65 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,792 per month in North Vancouver versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – North Vancouver is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find North Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.