Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,002 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index
185

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

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Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,002 per month in Sarnia vs $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Sarnia $2,002
Seattle, WA $3,800

A couple spends around $2,788 per month in Sarnia vs $5,702 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Sarnia $2,788
Seattle, WA $5,702

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Sarnia vs $7,603 in Seattle, WA, rent included.

Sarnia $3,574
Seattle, WA $7,603

Sarnia is about 47% cheaper than Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sarnia and Seattle, WA sit above the global median – Sarnia by 48%, Seattle, WA by 182%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 CA$19.25

$25.32 $25.32

-46.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.30 CA$64.4

$101 $101

-55.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 CA$13.89

$14.85 $14.85

-34.21%

Cappuccino

$2.95 CA$4.20

$6.59 $6.59

-55.24%

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

$1.93 CA$2.75

$3.22 $3.22

-40.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$3.14 $3.14

-56.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 CA$6.05

$8.18 $8.18

-47.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.13

$8.03 $8.03

-28.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.21 $1.21

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 CA$3.40

$5.12 $5.12

-53.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$6.30 $6.30

-61.59%

Eggs

$2.77 CA$3.94

$4.90 $4.90

-43.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 CA$15.70

$19.10 $19.10

-42.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.90

$18.50 $18.50

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 CA$19.44

$23.03 $23.03

-40.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$5.00

$5.81 $5.81

-39.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.95 $1.95

-40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.95

$5.29 $5.29

-34.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.93

$6.48 $6.48

-46.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$3.57 $3.57

-63.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CA$2.56

$3.15 $3.15

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CA$2.32

$2.85 $2.85

-42.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$2.42 $2.42

-47.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 CA$17.36

$12.75 $12.75

-4.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CA$14.19

$14.99 $14.99

-33.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$4.17 $4.17

-41.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$5.99 $5.99

-53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.27

$3.04 $3.04

-24.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 CA$80.7

$110 $110

-48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.55 $2.55

-4.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.42

$1.64 $1.64

3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 CA$39.60

$29.58 $29.58

-5.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.42 $1.42

-17.61%

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

$27.4K CA$38.9K

$35.7K $35.7K

-23.38%

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

$18.8K CA$26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

-26.35%

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

$138 CA$197

$299 $299

-53.69%

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

$29.32 CA$41.69

$70.8 $70.8

-58.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.42 CA$64.6

$88.3 $88.3

-48.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 CA$33.78

$79.5 $79.5

-70.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.73 CA$25.20

$35.37 $35.37

-49.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.35

$17.12 $17.12

-32.83%

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

$349 CA$497

$3,013 $3,013

-88.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.5K

$31.6K $31.6K

-50.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$78.7

$77.2 $77.2

-28.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 CA$42.29

$55.1 $55.1

-46.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 CA$105

$126 $126

-41.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 CA$104

$163 $163

-55.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,907

$2,464 $2,464

-45.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 CA$1,467

$1,956 $1,956

-47.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 CA$3,457

$4,711 $4,711

-48.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CA$2,063

$3,550 $3,550

-59.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 CA$4,352

$6,286 $6,286

-51.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

6.85

-25.69%

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

Last update for Sarnia: 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

Sarnia

$1K 51.5%

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5% 89.6% $924

Groceries & Markets

Sarnia

$310 15.5%

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3% 74.8% $232

Eating Out

Sarnia

$219 10.9%

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8% 86.6% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarnia

$213 10.7%

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1% 115% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Sarnia

$104 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$189 5% 81.3% $85

Getting Around

Sarnia

$77 3.8%

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5% 73% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sarnia

$47 2.3%

Seattle, WA

$114 3% 143% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Sarnia 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 105% 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 $45.00 in Sarnia versus $101 in Seattle, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $542 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

21:17 9:17 PM

3 h behind Sarnia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,594

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 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 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Sarnia Seattle, WA 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarnia
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,002 in Sarnia, $3,800 in Seattle, WA – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,003 per month in Sarnia 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 Sarnia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sarnia and $101 in Seattle, WA. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,002 in Sarnia and $3,800 in Seattle, WA. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Sarnia 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 $2,002 in Sarnia to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sarnia. 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.