Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Markham

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,416 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
118

Cost of Living Index in Markham
Learn more

Markham Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,416 in Markham.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Markham $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,465 in Markham.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Markham $3,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,514 in Markham.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Markham $4,514

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 57% more expensive than in Markham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Markham 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$17.37 CA$24.70

45.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$53.4 CA$76.0

89.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.47 CA$14.89

41.83%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.81 CA$5.42

72.97%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.70 CA$2.42

89.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.17 CA$1.67

168.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$3.59 CA$5.10

127.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.62 CA$7.99

42.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.94 CA$2.76

-37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.22 CA$3.16

130.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$1.90 CA$2.70

231.58%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.99 CA$4.25

63.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$11.70 CA$16.64

58.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$6.81 CA$9.68

238.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.69 CA$5.25

57.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.26 CA$1.80

54.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.33 CA$3.31

127.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.26 CA$4.63

98.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.05 CA$2.92

74.15%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.96 CA$2.79

60.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.87 CA$4.08

-0.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.48 CA$2.11

63.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.44 CA$19.11

-5.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.53 CA$20.66

3.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.40 CA$3.41

73.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.19 CA$4.54

87.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.04 CA$4.32

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$89.3 CA$127

23.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.31 CA$4.71

-22.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$18.60 CA$26.44

59.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.13 CA$1.61

25.66%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

27.15%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.1K CA$25.8K

41.03%

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

$299 $299

$125 CA$178

138.44%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$26.20 CA$37.26

170.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$45.69 CA$65.0

93.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$42.62 CA$60.6

86.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$21.28 CA$30.26

66.21%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$10.19 CA$14.49

68.01%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$870 CA$1,237

246.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$27.5K CA$39.0K

15.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$43.21 CA$61.4

78.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$37.22 CA$52.9

48.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$91.1 CA$130

37.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$105 CA$149

55.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,554 CA$2,210

58.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,391 CA$1,978

40.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,699 CA$3,838

74.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,236 CA$3,179

58.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$5,896 CA$8,382

24.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$5,309 CA$7,549

-4.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,132 CA$4,453

100.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.56

50.22%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Markham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Markham

$1.4K 57.6% 28.9% $565

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Markham

$279 * 11.5% 48.6% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Markham

$197 8.2% 56.9% $261

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Markham

$257 10.6% 37.1% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Markham

$124 5.2% 34.3% $65

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Markham

$105 * 4.3% 21.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Markham

$63 2.6% 44.6% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,554 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 101% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $53.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $279 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Markham

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

17:51 5:51 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

338,503

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 14, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Markham 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Markham

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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Markham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 101% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,554 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $870 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,416 in Markham versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Markham but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Markham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Markham delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,416 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Markham hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Markham 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 Markham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.