Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Hearst

For one person, living is cheaper in Hearst: $2,210 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Hearst
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Hearst Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Hearst

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,210 in Hearst.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Hearst $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,203 in Hearst.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Hearst $3,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $4,197 in Hearst.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Hearst $4,197

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 71% more expensive than in Hearst, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Hearst 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.35 CA$24.53

41.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$66.0 CA$93.4

48.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.67 CA$15.09

38.61%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.60 CA$5.09

81.11%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.01 CA$2.83

60.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.55 CA$2.20

104.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$5.18 CA$7.32

51.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.58 CA$7.88

43.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.09 CA$2.95

-42.11%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.55 CA$3.60

101.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.29 CA$4.65

83.89%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.34 CA$4.73

46.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$9.67 CA$13.67

98.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$11.53 CA$16.30

64.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$14.25 CA$20.15

63.58%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.78 CA$5.35

58.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.26 CA$1.78

53.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.63 CA$5.13

44.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.67 CA$5.18

79.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.49 CA$3.52

45.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.17 CA$3.06

52.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.48 CA$3.51

12.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.57 CA$2.22

59.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.89 CA$19.63

-12.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.84 CA$18.15

15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.61 CA$3.70

61.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.09 CA$4.37

86.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.24 CA$3.17

31.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$62.3 CA$88.0

70.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.79 CA$3.95

-5.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.40 CA$1.98

22.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$22.95 CA$32.44

29.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.14 CA$1.61

30.70%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$27.9K CA$39.4K

28.85%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

39.04%

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

$302 $302

$132 CA$186

129.31%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$38.55 CA$54.5

81.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$54.4 CA$77.0

56.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$40.47 CA$57.2

92.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$17.81 CA$25.18

94.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.12 CA$15.72

60.43%

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

$2,973 $2,973

$748 CA$1,057

297.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$13.1K CA$18.5K

139.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$53.7 CA$75.9

42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$38.42 CA$54.3

40.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$83.4 CA$118

53.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$103 CA$145

59.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$1,220 CA$1,724

100.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$1,104 CA$1,560

76.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,918 CA$2,711

147.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,687 CA$2,384

105.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$4,145 CA$5,860

77.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$3,557 CA$5,028

44.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,120 CA$4,410

108.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

4.66

47.85%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Hearst: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Hearst

$1.1K 49.9% 43.3% $843

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Hearst

$347 15.7% 36.4% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Hearst

$225 10.2% 50.9% $233

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Hearst

$265 12% 33.6% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Hearst

$125 5.7% 34.2% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Hearst

$81 3.7% 37.3% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Hearst

$63 2.8% 44.8% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $1,220 in Hearst. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 109% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $66.0 in Hearst for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $347 per month, with Hearst cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Hearst

🕒 Local time

09:19 9:19 AM

12:19 12:19 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Hearst 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Hearst

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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 Hearst: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Hearst differ by about 71% in total monthly costs ($3,782 vs $2,210 including rent). Hearst is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 109% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $1,220 in Hearst. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,973 in Seattle, WA versus $748 in Hearst. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Hearst versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hearst but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Hearst the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Hearst gentler on the wallet – expenses run 71% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.