Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Kelowna

For one person, living is cheaper in Kelowna: $2,373 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Kelowna
Learn more

Kelowna Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Kelowna

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,373

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,373 in Kelowna.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Kelowna $2,373

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,563 in Kelowna.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Kelowna $3,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,753 in Kelowna.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Kelowna $4,753

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 59% more expensive than in Kelowna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Kelowna 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.08 CA$23.95

39.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$59.8 CA$83.8

65.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.23 CA$15.75

33.04%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.04 CA$5.66

68.07%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.06 CA$2.88

56.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.63 CA$2.28

93.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$4.50 CA$6.31

82.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.84 CA$8.19

34.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.00 CA$2.80

-41.50%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.90 CA$4.07

82.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.51 CA$4.92

64.10%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.28 CA$4.60

49.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$9.66 CA$13.54

109.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.41 CA$18.80

33.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$21.54 CA$30.20

8.40%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.43 CA$4.81

73.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.54 CA$2.16

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.50 CA$4.91

52.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.77 CA$6.69

37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.26 CA$4.57

3.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.08 CA$4.32

-6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.53 CA$3.55

14.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.98 CA$2.77

22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.54 CA$20.39

-16.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$13.34 CA$18.70

14.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.53 CA$3.54

73.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.12 CA$4.38

88.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.21 CA$3.10

33.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$50.2 CA$70.4

117.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.98 CA$4.18

-15.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.98 CA$2.78

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$36.16 CA$50.7

-17.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.40 CA$1.96

7.86%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.4K CA$39.8K

27.29%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.3K CA$29.9K

20.65%

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

$289 $289

$127 CA$179

126.51%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$42.18 CA$59.1

63.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$57.1 CA$80.0

48.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$55.2 CA$77.4

25.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$31.57 CA$44.25

11.02%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$11.38 CA$15.96

57.91%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,057 CA$1,482

166.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$21.1K CA$29.6K

107.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$47.93 CA$67.2

90.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$40.72 CA$57.1

35.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$87.0 CA$122

46.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$99.8 CA$140

62.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,474 CA$2,066

75.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,208 CA$1,693

60.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,432 CA$3,409

109.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,119 CA$2,970

67.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$4,249 CA$5,956

73.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,200 CA$4,486

53.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,129 CA$4,385

106.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.69

44.99%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kelowna: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Kelowna

$1.2K 50.9% 37.8% $735

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Kelowna

$396 16.7% 27.1% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Kelowna

$227 9.6% 48.8% $216

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Kelowna

$268 11.3% 32.9% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Kelowna

$124 5.2% 36.7% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Kelowna

$72 3% 45.6% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Kelowna

$78 3.3% 26% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,474 in Kelowna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $60 in Kelowna for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $396 per month, with Kelowna cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Kelowna

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

05:52 5:52 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

144,576

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Kelowna 330 km

From you

Seattle, WA
Kelowna

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 Kelowna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,373 in Kelowna, so Kelowna is about 37% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.1 times higher, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,474 in Kelowna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,373 in Kelowna – Kelowna is about 37% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kelowna runs roughly 54% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,373 in Kelowna versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Kelowna but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Kelowna 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 Kelowna gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.