Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Iqaluit, NU

For one person, living is cheaper in Iqaluit, NU: $2,934 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Iqaluit, NU

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Iqaluit, NU $2,934

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Iqaluit, NU $4,585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Iqaluit, NU $6,236

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 30% more expensive than in Iqaluit, NU, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Iqaluit, NU 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$26.82 CA$38.14

-5.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.4 CA$90.1

60.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.91 CA$18.36

15.03%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$7.02 CA$9.98

-6.13%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.71 CA$5.28

-13.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.62 CA$2.31

93.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.73 CA$9.57

21.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.45 CA$7.74

47.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.44 CA$3.47

-50.41%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.55 CA$3.63

100.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.18 CA$4.53

98.11%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.41 CA$4.85

43.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.71 CA$13.81

96.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$13.07 CA$18.59

41.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$14.48 CA$20.59

59.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.70 CA$5.26

57.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.33 CA$1.90

46.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.58 CA$5.09

47.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.80 CA$5.41

70.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.41 CA$3.42

48.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.16 CA$3.08

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.37 CA$3.37

20.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.58 CA$2.25

53.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.88 CA$19.73

-8.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$12.82 CA$18.22

16.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.54 CA$3.62

64.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.00 CA$4.27

99.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.23 CA$3.17

36.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$61.5 CA$87.4

78.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$6.57 CA$9.34

-61.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.38 CA$1.96

18.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$20.20 CA$28.73

46.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.14 CA$1.62

24.56%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$38.0K CA$54.1K

-5.97%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$30.1K CA$42.8K

-15.04%

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

$299 $299

$114 CA$162

162.73%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$38.71 CA$55.0

82.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$53.6 CA$76.2

64.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$40.57 CA$57.7

95.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$17.61 CA$25.04

100.85%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$8.09 CA$11.51

111.62%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$755 CA$1,073

299.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$13.1K CA$18.6K

142.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$52.7 CA$74.9

46.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$38.18 CA$54.3

44.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$85.7 CA$122

46.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$102 CA$145

59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,751 CA$2,489

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,700 CA$2,417

15.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,877 CA$4,091

63.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$3,448 CA$4,902

2.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,252 CA$6,045

72.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,525 CA$5,011

43.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$4,135 CA$5,879

52.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.32

28.76%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58% 13.1% $256

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2% 33.8% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7% 55% $252

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8% 1.3% $5.2

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3% 33.7% $64

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9% 36.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9% 50.1% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 52% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $358 per month, with Iqaluit, NU cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🕒 Local time

18:33 6:33 PM

21:33 9:33 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Iqaluit, NU 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Iqaluit, NU

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 Iqaluit, NU: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iqaluit, NU is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $755 in Iqaluit, NU. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

For families, Iqaluit, NU 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 Iqaluit, NU gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.