Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Guelph

For one person, living is cheaper in Guelph: $2,586 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
Learn more

Guelph Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,586 in Guelph.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Guelph $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,627 in Guelph.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Guelph $3,627

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,669 in Guelph.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Guelph $4,669

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 45% more expensive than in Guelph, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Guelph 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$21.26 CA$30.31

15.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$70.6 CA$101

40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$11.25 CA$16.03

36.00%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.40 CA$4.84

94.71%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.49 CA$2.12

118.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.35 CA$1.92

130.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.03 CA$7.16

54.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.97 CA$8.52

32.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.10 CA$3.00

-42.38%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.84 CA$4.05

73.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.76 CA$5.36

64.10%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.86 CA$4.08

73.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.08 CA$14.37

88.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$15.42 CA$21.98

21.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$21.75 CA$31.00

6.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.64 CA$5.19

62.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.30 CA$1.86

49.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.42 CA$6.29

17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.50 CA$6.41

45.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.40 CA$4.85

6.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.34 CA$3.33

35.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.91 CA$4.15

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.51 CA$2.15

57.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$10.77 CA$15.36

14.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.04 CA$15.74

36.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.45 CA$4.92

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.12 CA$4.45

82.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.23 CA$3.18

36.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$65.5 CA$93.3

65.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.39 CA$3.41

10.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.77 CA$2.52

-1.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$24.16 CA$34.43

24.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.13 CA$1.61

29.20%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.2K CA$40.2K

30.29%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.2K CA$28.7K

27.37%

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

$299 $299

$123 CA$175

144.34%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$42.86 CA$61.1

62.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$55.1 CA$78.6

63.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$54.7 CA$77.9

46.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$14.12 CA$20.13

152.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.42 CA$14.85

66.31%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$812 CA$1,158

267.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$16.6K CA$23.7K

88.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$61.8 CA$88.0

25.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$36.02 CA$51.3

52.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$85.7 CA$122

47.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$123 CA$176

33.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,453 CA$2,072

65.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,378 CA$1,964

42.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,018 CA$2,876

137.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,934 CA$2,757

84.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$4,827 CA$6,881

53.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$4,691 CA$6,686

6.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,147 CA$4,486

99.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.99

37.27%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Guelph: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Guelph

$1.4K 53.1% 29.8% $585

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Guelph

$405 15.6% 25.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Guelph

$221 8.5% 52% $239

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Guelph

$293 11.3% 27.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Guelph

$138 5.3% 27.6% $53

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Guelph

$86 3.3% 35.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Guelph

$76 2.9% 34.1% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,453 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 100% 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 Guelph for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $405 per month, with Guelph cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Guelph

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

08:50 8:50 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

131,794

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Guelph 3,270 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Guelph

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

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

Guelph is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 45% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% 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 $1,453 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guelph – 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Guelph is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Guelph 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 Guelph gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.