Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lethbridge, AB

For one person, living is cheaper in Lethbridge, AB: $2,118 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Lethbridge, AB
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Lethbridge, AB Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Lethbridge, AB

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,118

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Lethbridge, AB

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Lethbridge, AB $2,118

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,113 in Lethbridge, AB, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Lethbridge, AB $3,113

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,108 in Lethbridge, AB, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Lethbridge, AB $4,108

Seattle, WA costs about 79% more than Lethbridge, AB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Lethbridge, AB sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Lethbridge, AB by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$20.73 CA$29.31

22.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.8 CA$95.9

49.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.71 CA$16.56

26.81%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$4.15 CA$5.87

58.80%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.77 CA$2.50

81.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.05 CA$2.90

53.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.89 CA$6.91

67.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.68 CA$8.03

41.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.20 CA$3.11

-45.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.39 CA$3.39

114.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.32 CA$6.11

45.83%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.32 CA$4.69

47.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$10.03 CA$14.18

90.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$12.16 CA$17.20

52.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$12.68 CA$17.93

81.62%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.37 CA$4.77

72.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 CA$1.79

53.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.71 CA$3.83

95.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.55 CA$6.44

42.42%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.55 CA$5.02

0.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.09 CA$4.37

1.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$3.12 CA$4.42

-8.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.73 CA$2.44

39.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.77 CA$16.64

8.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.10 CA$19.94

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.07 CA$4.34

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.84 CA$5.43

55.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.14 CA$3.02

42.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$68.6 CA$96.9

60.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.47 CA$4.90

-26.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.82 CA$3.98

-41.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$42.23 CA$59.7

-29.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.12 CA$1.58

26.79%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.4K CA$38.7K

30.62%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$21.9K CA$30.9K

16.98%

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

$299 $299

$275 CA$389

8.65%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$50.4 CA$71.3

40.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$67.8 CA$95.9

30.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$43.76 CA$61.9

81.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$14.02 CA$19.82

152.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$13.74 CA$19.42

24.60%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$856 CA$1,211

251.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$3,569 CA$5,045

786.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$46.21 CA$65.3

67.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$50.6 CA$71.6

8.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$74.8 CA$106

67.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$114 CA$161

42.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$972 CA$1,374

153.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$763 CA$1,079

156.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,415 CA$2,000

232.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,249 CA$1,766

184.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$5,489 CA$7,760

33.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,059 CA$2,911

145.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,907 CA$4,110

116.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.85

41.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lethbridge, AB: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Lethbridge, AB

$763 36% 61% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Lethbridge, AB

$365 17.2% 32.6% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Lethbridge, AB

$393 18.6% 14.1% $65

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Lethbridge, AB

$302 14.3% 26.1% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Lethbridge, AB

$129 6.1% 32.1% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Lethbridge, AB

$95 4.5% 28.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Lethbridge, AB

$71 3.4% 37.4% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $972 in Lethbridge, AB. 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 116% 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 $68.0 in Lethbridge, AB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $365 – making Lethbridge, AB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Lethbridge, AB

🕒 Local time

08:03 8:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

83,517

💱 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 Lethbridge, AB 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
Lethbridge, AB

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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 Lethbridge, AB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB – roughly 79% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,176 in Lethbridge, AB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 48% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $68.0 in Lethbridge, AB. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lethbridge, AB, where all-in costs run around $2,118, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Lethbridge, AB 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 $2,118 in Lethbridge, AB to $3,800 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 Lethbridge, AB. 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.