Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Milton

For one person, living is cheaper in Milton: $2,673 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
131

Cost of Living Index in Milton
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Milton Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Milton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,673

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,673 in Milton.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Milton $2,673

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,762 in Milton.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Milton $3,762

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,851 in Milton.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Milton $4,851

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Milton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Milton 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$13.86 CA$19.60

82.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$69.1 CA$97.7

46.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$8.54 CA$12.08

73.89%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.51 CA$4.97

87.75%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.01 CA$4.26

6.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.28 CA$3.23

37.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.65 CA$6.58

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.81 CA$8.21

38.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.97 CA$2.78

-38.58%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.12 CA$3.00

141.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.60 CA$3.67

142.31%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.19 CA$4.50

53.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$8.72 CA$12.33

119.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$21.67 CA$30.63

-14.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$23.03 CA$32.56

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$4.89 CA$6.92

18.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.08 CA$1.52

80.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.87 CA$4.05

84.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.86 CA$5.45

67.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.38 CA$3.36

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.19 CA$3.09

43.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.25 CA$3.19

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.84 CA$2.61

31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$11.30 CA$15.98

12.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$13.50 CA$19.08

11.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.96 CA$2.77

112.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.63 CA$3.71

127.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.82 CA$3.99

7.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$55.4 CA$78.4

98.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.10 CA$4.38

-17.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.50 CA$2.13

9.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$28.06 CA$39.67

5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.01 CA$1.42

40.59%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$24.1K CA$34.0K

48.56%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

35.23%

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

$299 $299

$231 CA$326

29.58%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$55.6 CA$78.6

27.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$50.8 CA$71.8

73.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$41.91 CA$59.3

89.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$19.98 CA$28.25

77.03%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$14.24 CA$20.13

20.22%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$397 CA$562

658.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$10.6K CA$15.0K

198.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$68.5 CA$96.8

12.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$45.89 CA$64.9

20.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$88.2 CA$125

42.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$140 CA$198

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,503 CA$2,125

63.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,385 CA$1,958

41.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,529 CA$3,576

86.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,016 CA$2,850

76.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,741 CA$6,703

54.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$4,047 CA$5,721

24.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,170 CA$4,481

98.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.69

20.39%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Milton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Milton

$1.4K 51.8% 29.2% $571

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Milton

$414 15.5% 23.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Milton

$337 12.6% 26.4% $121

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Milton

$235 8.8% 42.5% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Milton

$154 5.8% 18.6% $35

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Milton

$77 2.9% 41.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Milton

$70 2.6% 38.1% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,503 in Milton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 98% 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 $69.0 in Milton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $414 per month, with Milton cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Milton

🕒 Local time

16:27 4:27 PM

19:27 7:27 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

110,128

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Milton 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

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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 Milton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Milton differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($3,800 vs $2,673 including rent). Milton is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% 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 $1,503 in Milton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Milton runs roughly 99% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $3,013 in Seattle, WA versus $397 in Milton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Milton is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Milton 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 Milton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.