Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Courtenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Courtenay: $2,155 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Courtenay
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Courtenay Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Courtenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,155

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Courtenay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,155 in Courtenay, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Courtenay $2,155

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,056 in Courtenay, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Courtenay $3,056

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,956 in Courtenay, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Courtenay $3,956

Seattle, WA costs about 75% more than Courtenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Courtenay sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, Courtenay by 59%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$14.34 CA$20.16

65.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$56.4 CA$79.3

75.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.18 CA$14.31

46.76%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.56 CA$5.01

90.73%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.07 CA$2.91

56.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.51 CA$2.12

108.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.70 CA$8.02

44.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.71 CA$8.03

37.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.36 CA$3.31

-50.42%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.29 CA$3.23

131.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.09 CA$2.94

175.60%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.48 CA$4.90

40.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$10.15 CA$14.27

99.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$9.29 CA$13.07

93.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.69 CA$27.69

18.59%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.34 CA$4.70

77.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.29 CA$1.82

46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.44 CA$3.43

119.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.99 CA$4.21

119.73%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.67 CA$3.75

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.16 CA$3.04

33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.07 CA$2.91

39.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.70 CA$2.40

42.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.07 CA$19.78

-13.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.68 CA$15.01

42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.50 CA$3.52

75.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.51 CA$3.53

134.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.99 CA$2.80

48.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$42.91 CA$60.4

154.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.61 CA$3.68

-3.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.41 CA$1.99

21.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$17.79 CA$25.02

66.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.27 CA$1.78

18.90%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$20.7K CA$29.0K

75.19%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$18.3K CA$25.8K

40.30%

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

$289 $289

$139 CA$196

107.38%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$37.88 CA$53.3

82.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$64.8 CA$91.2

30.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$42.16 CA$59.3

64.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$39.59 CA$55.7

-11.47%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$10.75 CA$15.12

67.16%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$652 CA$916

332.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$12.8K CA$18.0K

243.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$56.5 CA$79.5

61.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$44.60 CA$62.7

23.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$79.0 CA$111

60.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$60.2 CA$84.6

169.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,262 CA$1,775

104.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,105 CA$1,554

75.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,076 CA$2,920

145.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,604 CA$2,256

120.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$5,444 CA$7,657

35.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,286 CA$4,621

96.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.87

39.63%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Courtenay: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Courtenay

$1.1K 51.3% 43.1% $838

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Courtenay

$334 15.5% 38.6% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Courtenay

$242 11.2% 45.3% $201

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Courtenay

$242 11.2% 39.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Courtenay

$108 5% 44.8% $88

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Courtenay

$61 2.8% 54.2% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Courtenay

$64 3% 39.6% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,262 in Courtenay. 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 96% higher in Seattle, WA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $56 in Courtenay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $334 – making Courtenay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Courtenay

🕒 Local time

12:56 12:56 PM

13:56 1:56 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

25,599

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.636 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.636 EUR).

CAD to USD 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

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

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 75%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,233 in Courtenay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Courtenay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,262 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

Groceries cost about 63% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA and $56 in Courtenay. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Courtenay, where all-in costs run around $2,155, than in Seattle, WA at $3,762. In Courtenay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Courtenay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Courtenay. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.