Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Calgary: $2,232 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
109

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,232

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Calgary

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Seattle, WA and in Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,232 in Calgary.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Calgary $2,232

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,363 in Calgary.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Calgary $3,363

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,493 in Calgary.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Calgary $4,493

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 68% more expensive than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Calgary 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$17.22 CA$24.49

42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$71.2 CA$101

39.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.56 CA$15.02

44.89%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.77 CA$5.37

75.60%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.91 CA$2.72

70.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.84 CA$2.62

69.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.86 CA$6.92

59.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.55 CA$7.90

42.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.88 CA$2.67

-35.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.73 CA$3.88

80.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.34 CA$7.60

15.54%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.77 CA$5.36

31.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$11.29 CA$16.06

68.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.46 CA$16.30

63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$18.26 CA$25.97

26.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.64 CA$6.60

27.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.44 CA$2.04

34.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.22 CA$6.01

22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.86 CA$5.49

69.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.62 CA$3.73

38.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.66 CA$3.78

18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.59 CA$3.68

12.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.53 CA$2.18

55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$14.26 CA$20.28

-13.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.27 CA$21.71

-1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.41 CA$3.43

78.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.09 CA$4.40

84.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.88 CA$4.10

5.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$88.7 CA$126

22.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.23 CA$4.60

-18.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.38 CA$1.97

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$26.49 CA$37.67

13.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.18 CA$1.67

23.73%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.3K CA$40.2K

29.95%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.7K CA$29.5K

23.90%

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

$299 $299

$159 CA$227

88.01%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$37.61 CA$53.5

85.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$49.68 CA$70.7

81.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$53.3 CA$75.7

50.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$18.31 CA$26.04

94.54%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$14.08 CA$20.02

23.08%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$809 CA$1,151

268.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$15.9K CA$22.5K

97.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$58.8 CA$83.6

32.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$38.84 CA$55.2

41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$91.4 CA$130

37.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$109 CA$155

51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,237 CA$1,760

94.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$996 CA$1,417

97.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,908 CA$2,714

150.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,671 CA$2,377

113.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,530 CA$5,022

110.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$3,336 CA$4,745

50.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,130 CA$4,452

100.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.51

51.88%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Calgary: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Calgary

$996 44.8% 49.3% $967

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Calgary

$387 17.4% 28.4% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Calgary

$247 11.1% 46.3% $213

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Calgary

$265 11.9% 34% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Calgary

$134 6% 29.6% $57

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Calgary

$110 5% 16.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Calgary

$81 3.7% 29% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,237 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 101% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $71.0 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $387 per month, with Calgary cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

01:52 1:52 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,267,344

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Calgary 710 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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

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

Calgary is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 68% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 101% higher in Seattle, WA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,237 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,232 in Calgary – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,232 in Calgary versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Calgary but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Calgary the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calgary 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 Calgary gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.