Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,388 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index
184

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

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Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,388 per month in Ottawa vs $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ottawa $2,388
Seattle, WA $3,744

A couple spends around $3,474 per month in Ottawa vs $5,703 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ottawa $3,474
Seattle, WA $5,703

A family of three spends $4,559 per month in Ottawa vs $7,661 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Ottawa $4,559
Seattle, WA $7,661

Ottawa is about 36% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Ottawa and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Ottawa by 78%, Seattle, WA by 179%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.59 CA$26.49

$24.56 $24.56

-24.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.0 CA$110

$99.5 $99.5

-22.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.60 CA$15.12

$15.30 $15.30

-30.72%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.61

$6.62 $6.62

-40.48%

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

$2.01 CA$2.87

$3.25 $3.25

-38.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.53

$3.11 $3.11

-42.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.57 CA$7.94

$7.77 $7.77

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.19 CA$8.82

$7.93 $7.93

-21.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.27

$1.21 $1.21

89.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.42

$4.94 $4.94

-37.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.57

$6.17 $6.17

-47.97%

Eggs

$3.47 CA$4.95

$4.96 $4.96

-30.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 CA$14.93

$19.00 $19.00

-44.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 CA$15.91

$18.69 $18.69

-40.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.68 CA$25.20

$23.14 $23.14

-23.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.36

$5.93 $5.93

-36.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.97

$1.94 $1.94

-28.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.37

$5.19 $5.19

-27.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 CA$5.05

$6.55 $6.55

-45.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.78

$3.62 $3.62

-26.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.44

$3.16 $3.16

-23.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.76

$2.91 $2.91

-9.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.27

$2.38 $2.38

-33.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.49 CA$20.65

$12.36 $12.36

17.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 CA$16.82

$15.02 $15.02

-21.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 CA$3.72

$4.30 $4.30

-39.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 CA$4.69

$5.69 $5.69

-42.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$3.05 $3.05

-9.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 CA$134

$109 $109

-13.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.64 $2.64

3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.15

$1.74 $1.74

-13.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.16 CA$27.31

$30.02 $30.02

-36.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.71

$1.46 $1.46

-17.81%

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

$27.8K CA$39.7K

$36.7K $36.7K

-24.26%

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

$21.1K CA$30.0K

$25.7K $25.7K

-17.97%

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

$136 CA$194

$299 $299

-54.54%

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

$36.63 CA$52.2

$69.7 $69.7

-47.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 CA$71.8

$90.1 $90.1

-44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.79 CA$65.3

$80.0 $80.0

-42.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.77 CA$39.59

$35.62 $35.62

-22.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.82 CA$18.28

$17.33 $17.33

-26.02%

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

$913 CA$1,301

$2,986 $2,986

-69.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K CA$23.0K

$31.3K $31.3K

-48.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.2 CA$87.3

$77.7 $77.7

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.63 CA$55.1

$54.9 $54.9

-29.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 CA$151

$126 $126

-15.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.6 CA$139

$165 $165

-40.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,490 CA$2,124

$2,407 $2,407

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 CA$1,719

$1,963 $1,963

-38.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,204 CA$3,141

$4,788 $4,788

-53.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 CA$2,617

$3,561 $3,561

-48.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,287 CA$6,111

$7,430 $7,430

-42.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,457 CA$6,353

$5,010 $5,010

-11.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,712 CA$5,292

$6,280 $6,280

-40.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.14

6.85

-39.56%

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

Last update for Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6% 62.8% $757

Groceries & Markets

Ottawa

$366 15.3%

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2% 47.6% $174

Eating Out

Ottawa

$283 11.8%

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6% 41.9% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ottawa

$223 9.3%

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1% 106% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Ottawa

$137 5.7%

Seattle, WA

$191 5% 39.6% $54

Getting Around

Ottawa

$115 4.8%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 14.7% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ottawa

$71 3%

Seattle, WA

$115 3% 60.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,490 in Ottawa versus $2,407 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 69% 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 $77.0 in Ottawa versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $366 vs $541 – making Ottawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

3 h behind Ottawa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,000,000 Capital

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 →

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Ottawa Seattle, WA 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ottawa
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,388 in Ottawa, $3,744 in Seattle, WA – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,582 per month in Ottawa and $5,616 in Seattle, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, 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 $2,388 in Ottawa and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Ottawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,388 in Ottawa and $3,744 in Seattle, WA. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,388 in Ottawa to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ottawa. 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.