Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Joliette

For one person, living is cheaper in Joliette: $1,633 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $26,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Joliette
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Joliette Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Joliette

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $1,633 in Joliette, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Joliette $1,633

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,514 in Joliette, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Joliette $2,514

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,395 in Joliette, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Joliette $3,395

Seattle, WA costs about 133% more than Joliette, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Joliette sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Joliette by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.67 CA$29.23

22.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$52.4 CA$74.1

93.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.73 CA$15.16

38.40%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$2.39 CA$3.38

175.73%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$2.02 CA$2.86

59.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.40 CA$1.99

124.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.14 CA$5.85

97.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.58 CA$7.89

43.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.11 CA$2.98

-42.65%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.42 CA$3.42

111.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.06 CA$5.73

55.17%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.44 CA$3.44

100.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$8.81 CA$12.46

116.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$10.48 CA$14.82

76.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$10.12 CA$14.31

127.57%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.13 CA$5.84

40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.53 CA$2.16

27.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.85 CA$5.44

37.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.98 CA$5.63

62.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.93 CA$4.14

21.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.76 CA$3.90

14.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.63 CA$2.31

74.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.47 CA$2.08

64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$14.72 CA$20.81

-13.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$11.27 CA$15.93

33.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.15 CA$4.45

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.35 CA$4.73

78.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.00 CA$2.83

52.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$59.4 CA$84.0

85.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.93 CA$4.15

-12.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.45 CA$2.06

13.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$34.81 CA$49.22

-15.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.91 CA$1.28

56.04%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.8K CA$39.3K

28.45%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

18.48%

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

$299 $299

$99.0 CA$140

202.18%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$31.74 CA$44.87

123.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$43.64 CA$61.7

102.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$36.01 CA$50.9

120.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$17.24 CA$24.37

105.16%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$10.68 CA$15.10

60.30%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$689 CA$974

337.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$9,036 CA$12.8K

250.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$48.97 CA$69.2

57.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$38.30 CA$54.1

43.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$82.8 CA$117

51.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$105 CA$149

54.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$657 CA$928

275.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$599 CA$847

226.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,256 CA$1,776

275.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,054 CA$1,491

236.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,029 CA$5,695

82.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,913 CA$5,531

29.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,710 CA$3,831

131.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.44

54.28%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Joliette: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Joliette

$599 36.7% 69.4% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Joliette

$329 20.2% 39.2% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Joliette

$174 10.7% 61.9% $284

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Joliette

$272 16.7% 33.5% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Joliette

$124 7.6% 34.5% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Joliette

$78 4.8% 41.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Joliette

$57 3.5% 49.6% $56

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $657 in Joliette. 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 132% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $52.0 in Joliette. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $329 – making Joliette the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Joliette

🕒 Local time

10:34 10:34 AM

13:34 1:34 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

20,484

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Joliette 3,660 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 Joliette: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Seattle, WA is pricier by about 133%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $2,450 in Joliette. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Joliette, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $3,013 per month in Seattle, WA and $689 in Joliette. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Seattle, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Joliette, where all-in costs run around $1,633, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Joliette it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Joliette – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Joliette. 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.