Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and London

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,312 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
112

Cost of Living Index in London
Learn more

London Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

London

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,312

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,312 in London.

Seattle, WA $3,744
London $2,312

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,278 in London.

Seattle, WA $5,703
London $3,278

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,243 in London.

Seattle, WA $7,661
London $4,243

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 62% more expensive than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, London 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$21.22 CA$30.24

15.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$62.6 CA$89.3

58.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$12.36 CA$17.61

23.79%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.65 CA$5.20

81.37%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.18 CA$3.10

49.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.06 CA$2.94

50.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.47 CA$9.22

20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.47 CA$9.23

22.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.95 CA$2.78

-37.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.61 CA$3.72

89.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.94 CA$5.62

56.60%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.74 CA$5.34

32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$9.83 CA$14.02

93.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.28 CA$16.08

65.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$15.02 CA$21.40

54.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.24 CA$6.04

39.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.29 CA$1.84

50.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.85 CA$5.49

34.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.06 CA$5.79

61.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.17 CA$4.53

14.20%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.02 CA$4.31

4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.58 CA$3.68

12.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.46 CA$2.09

63.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$11.98 CA$17.08

3.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.50 CA$17.82

20.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.40 CA$3.43

79.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.87 CA$4.09

98.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.26 CA$3.22

34.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$77.4 CA$110

40.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.51 CA$3.58

5.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.60 CA$2.29

8.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$21.83 CA$31.11

37.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.17 CA$1.67

24.79%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

32.29%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$22.7K CA$32.4K

12.89%

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

$299 $299

$135 CA$193

121.69%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$39.06 CA$55.7

78.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$56.4 CA$80.3

59.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$37.00 CA$52.7

116.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$28.27 CA$40.29

26.00%

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

$407 CA$579

634.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$20.2K CA$28.8K

54.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$52.0 CA$74.1

49.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$38.12 CA$54.3

43.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$82.8 CA$118

52.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$90.7 CA$129

82.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,270 CA$1,810

89.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,148 CA$1,636

71.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,013 CA$2,870

137.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,703 CA$2,428

109.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$3,440 CA$4,904

115.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$3,519 CA$5,015

42.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$2,882 CA$4,108

117.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.72

45.13%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for London: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

London

$1.1K 49.4% 41.5% $815

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

London

$358 15.4% 33.8% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

London

$230 9.9% 49.8% $229

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

London

$313 13.5% 22.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

London

$119 5.1% 37.8% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

London

$97 4.2% 26.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

London

$58 2.5% 49.6% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,270 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 118% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $63.0 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $358 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 London

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

03:55 3:55 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

383,822

💱 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 London 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

London is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 118% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,270 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,312 in London – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in London runs roughly 40% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,312 in London versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in London but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes London the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, London 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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and London are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.