Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Kingston

For one person, living is cheaper in Kingston: $2,224 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
108

Cost of Living Index in Kingston
Learn more

Kingston Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Kingston

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,224 in Kingston, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Kingston $2,224

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,051 in Kingston, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Kingston $3,051

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,879 in Kingston, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Kingston $3,879

Seattle, WA costs about 68% more than Kingston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Kingston sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Kingston by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$14.71 CA$20.97

66.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$62.7 CA$89.3

58.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$11.17 CA$15.92

36.97%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.51 CA$5.00

88.60%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.01 CA$2.87

61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.31 CA$1.86

137.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.87 CA$8.37

32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.27 CA$8.93

26.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.04 CA$2.90

-40.69%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.44 CA$3.48

102.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.29 CA$4.69

87.54%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.90 CA$4.14

71.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.27 CA$14.64

85.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.31 CA$16.12

65.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$9.99 CA$14.24

131.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.89 CA$4.12

105.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.14 CA$1.63

70.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.51 CA$5.00

47.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.55 CA$5.06

84.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.30 CA$4.71

9.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.24 CA$3.19

41.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.61 CA$3.72

11.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.58 CA$2.26

50.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$13.40 CA$19.10

-7.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.16 CA$17.33

23.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.17 CA$3.09

98.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.28 CA$4.68

73.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.48 CA$3.54

22.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$56.2 CA$80.0

93.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.07 CA$4.37

-14.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.50 CA$2.14

16.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$31.06 CA$44.27

-3.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.14 CA$1.63

28.07%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

33.30%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$18.7K CA$26.7K

37.26%

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

$299 $299

$120 CA$171

149.35%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$38.49 CA$54.9

81.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$63.2 CA$90.1

42.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$28.06 CA$40.00

185.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$8.84 CA$12.60

302.94%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.41 CA$14.84

66.47%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$514 CA$733

480.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$51.7 CA$73.7

50.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$32.55 CA$46.39

68.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$79.7 CA$114

58.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$85.3 CA$122

93.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,535 CA$2,188

56.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,181 CA$1,684

66.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,287 CA$3,260

109.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,544 CA$2,201

130.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,384 CA$4,824

119.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,449 CA$3,491

104.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$2,979 CA$4,246

110.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.61

48.59%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kingston: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Kingston

$1.2K 53.3% 39.8% $782

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Kingston

$326 14.7% 39.8% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Kingston

$222 10% 51.7% $237

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Kingston

$248 11.2% 38.2% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Kingston

$112 5.1% 41.2% $78

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Kingston

$77 3.5% 42% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Kingston

$49 2.2% 57.4% $66

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,535 in Kingston. 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 111% 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 $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $63.0 in Kingston. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $326 – making Kingston the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Kingston

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

123,363

💱 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 Kingston 3,510 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Kingston

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,224 in Kingston – roughly 68% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,336 in Kingston. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,224 in Kingston. That's a gap of about 68%.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Kingston. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Kingston, where all-in costs run around $2,224, than in Seattle, WA at $3,744. In Kingston it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,224 in Kingston to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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 Kingston. 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.