Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Edmonton

For one person, living is cheaper in Edmonton: $2,202 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 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
105

Cost of Living Index in Edmonton
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Edmonton Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Edmonton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,202 in Edmonton, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Edmonton $2,202

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,234 in Edmonton, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Edmonton $3,234

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,267 in Edmonton, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Edmonton $4,267

Seattle, WA costs about 70% more than Edmonton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Edmonton sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Edmonton by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.26 CA$27.40

27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$76.9 CA$109

29.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.02 CA$14.25

52.69%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.88 CA$5.52

70.62%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.22 CA$3.16

46.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.96 CA$2.78

58.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.62 CA$8.00

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.30 CA$8.96

25.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.57 CA$2.23

-22.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.13 CA$3.02

131.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.00 CA$4.27

105.67%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.51 CA$4.99

41.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.71 CA$15.23

77.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.26 CA$16.02

65.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$18.50 CA$26.31

25.08%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.26 CA$6.05

39.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.38 CA$1.96

40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.15 CA$5.90

25.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.07 CA$5.79

60.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.12 CA$3.01

70.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.83 CA$2.60

72.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.37 CA$3.37

22.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.85 CA$2.63

28.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$13.83 CA$19.67

-10.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.26 CA$16.02

33.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.55 CA$5.05

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.90 CA$4.13

96.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.70 CA$3.84

12.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$70.7 CA$101

53.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.80 CA$3.98

-5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.37 CA$1.94

27.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$21.34 CA$30.36

40.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.11 CA$1.58

31.53%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

30.55%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.7K CA$28.0K

30.64%

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

$299 $299

$223 CA$317

34.32%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$44.02 CA$62.6

58.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$53.2 CA$75.7

69.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$46.33 CA$65.9

72.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$18.21 CA$25.90

95.61%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.91 CA$18.37

34.24%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$762 CA$1,083

292.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$9,587 CA$13.6K

226.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$43.40 CA$61.7

79.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$45.36 CA$64.5

20.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$83.4 CA$119

51.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$96.8 CA$138

70.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,086 CA$1,545

121.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$900 CA$1,280

118.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,702 CA$2,421

181.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,409 CA$2,004

152.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,153 CA$3,062

245.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$1,988 CA$2,828

152.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,684 CA$5,240

70.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.32

58.56%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Edmonton: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Edmonton

$900 41.8% 54.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Edmonton

$361 16.8% 33.2% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Edmonton

$320 14.9% 30.3% $139

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Edmonton

$288 13.4% 28.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Edmonton

$121 5.6% 36.5% $70

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Edmonton

$91 4.2% 31% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Edmonton

$72 3.4% 37% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,086 in Edmonton. 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 70% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $77.0 in Edmonton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $361 – making Edmonton the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Edmonton

🕒 Local time

00:18 12:18 AM

01:18 1:18 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,010,899

💱 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 Edmonton 910 km ≈ 1 h 45 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 Edmonton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,202 in Edmonton – roughly 70% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,302 in Edmonton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Edmonton, 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 $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,202 in Edmonton. That's a gap of about 70%.

Public transport costs about 54% less in Edmonton. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Edmonton, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In Edmonton 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 $2,202 in Edmonton to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Edmonton. 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.