Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Gatineau: $2,003 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,003 in Gatineau, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Gatineau $2,003

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,048 in Gatineau, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Gatineau $3,048

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,093 in Gatineau, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Gatineau $4,093

Seattle, WA costs about 87% more than Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Seattle, WA and Gatineau sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Gatineau by 49%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$12.79 CA$18.24

92.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$83.7 CA$119

18.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.56 CA$15.06

44.89%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.18 CA$4.53

108.18%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.34 CA$1.91

142.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.30 CA$1.85

139.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$4.29 CA$6.12

81.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.28 CA$8.95

26.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.89 CA$2.70

-35.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.97 CA$4.23

66.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$5.25 CA$7.49

17.52%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.18 CA$4.53

55.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$11.46 CA$16.33

65.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$9.63 CA$13.73

94.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$10.85 CA$15.47

113.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.99 CA$5.69

48.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.84 CA$2.63

5.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.67 CA$6.66

11.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.57 CA$6.51

43.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.17 CA$3.09

66.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.48 CA$3.53

27.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.11 CA$3.01

37.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.71 CA$3.87

-12.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$11.99 CA$17.09

3.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.36 CA$17.61

21.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.84 CA$4.05

51.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.30 CA$4.70

72.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.15 CA$4.49

-3.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$78.1 CA$111

39.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$4.82 CA$6.87

-45.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.24 CA$3.19

-22.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$31.68 CA$45.16

-5.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.25 CA$1.78

16.80%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.3K CA$38.9K

34.68%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$18.3K CA$26.1K

40.19%

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

$299 $299

$113 CA$161

165.58%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$36.42 CA$51.9

91.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$48.35 CA$68.9

86.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$45.79 CA$65.3

74.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$28.95 CA$41.26

23.04%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.72 CA$15.28

61.66%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$538 CA$767

454.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$135.9K CA$193.7K

-76.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$69.2 CA$98.7

12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$42.94 CA$61.2

27.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$86.4 CA$123

45.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$116 CA$166

41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,090 CA$1,554

120.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$949 CA$1,352

106.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,789 CA$2,550

167.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,476 CA$2,103

141.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$5,125 CA$7,306

44.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$6,057 CA$8,634

-17.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$2,559 CA$3,648

145.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.64

47.63%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Gatineau

$949 46.4% 51.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Gatineau

$368 18% 32% $173

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Gatineau

$198 9.7% 57% $262

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Gatineau

$217 10.6% 46.1% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Gatineau

$142 6.9% 25.6% $49

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Gatineau

$107 5.2% 19.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Gatineau

$67 3.3% 41.3% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,090 in Gatineau. 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 145% 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 $84.0 in Gatineau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $368 – making Gatineau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

04:38 4:38 AM

07:38 7:38 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

291,041

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Gatineau 3,520 km ≈ 5 h 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 Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 87% more than Gatineau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,004 in Gatineau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gatineau, 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 $2,003 in Gatineau. That's a gap of about 87%.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Gatineau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Gatineau, where all-in costs run around $2,003, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In Gatineau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Gatineau costs $2,003 versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Gatineau. 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.