Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Mississauga

For one person, living is cheaper in Mississauga: $2,572 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Seattle, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,744
/mo nomad
Mississauga
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,572
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,572 in Mississauga.

  • Seattle, WA $3,744
  • Mississauga $2,572

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,621 in Mississauga.

  • Seattle, WA $5,703
  • Mississauga $3,621

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,670 in Mississauga.

  • Seattle, WA $7,661
  • Mississauga $4,670

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Mississauga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Mississauga 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.56 $24.56
$16.53 CA$23.56
48.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 $99.5
$70.4 CA$100
41.26%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.30 $15.30
$10.36 CA$14.76
47.68%
Cappuccino
$6.62 $6.62
$3.57 CA$5.09
85.43%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.75 CA$2.49
85.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.29 CA$1.84
141.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.77 $7.77
$5.63 CA$8.02
38.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.93 $7.93
$5.63 CA$8.03
40.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.21 $1.21
$2.75 CA$3.92
-56.00%
White Bread (500g)
$4.94 $4.94
$2.68 CA$3.82
84.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.17 $6.17
$2.52 CA$3.60
144.84%
Eggs
$4.96 $4.96
$4.39 CA$6.26
12.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.00 $19.00
$10.78 CA$15.36
76.25%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.69 $18.69
$11.16 CA$15.91
67.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$23.14 $23.14
$12.65 CA$18.04
82.92%
Apples (1kg)
$5.93 $5.93
$3.36 CA$4.79
76.49%
Banana (1kg)
$1.94 $1.94
$1.44 CA$2.06
34.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.19 $5.19
$3.27 CA$4.66
58.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.55 $6.55
$4.15 CA$5.92
57.83%
Potato (1kg)
$3.62 $3.62
$1.61 CA$2.30
124.84%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.31 CA$3.29
36.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.21 CA$3.14
31.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$1.46 CA$2.08
63.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.36 $12.36
$14.52 CA$20.69
-14.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.02 $15.02
$12.69 CA$18.09
18.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.30 $4.30
$2.28 CA$3.25
88.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.69 $5.69
$2.50 CA$3.57
127.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.79 CA$3.97
9.32%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$109 $109
$98.1 CA$140
10.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 $2.64
$2.97 CA$4.23
-11.11%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.74 $1.74
$1.27 CA$1.82
37.01%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.02 $30.02
$20.72 CA$29.54
44.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.19 CA$1.69
22.69%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.7K $36.7K
$28.0K CA$39.9K
31.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$19.8K CA$28.2K
29.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$299 $299
$137 CA$196
118.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.7 $69.7
$34.59 CA$49.31
101.45%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$90.1 $90.1
$45.65 CA$65.1
97.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$80.0 $80.0
$37.59 CA$53.6
112.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.62 $35.62
$35.16 CA$50.1
1.31%
Cinema Ticket
$17.33 $17.33
$11.15 CA$15.89
55.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,986 $2,986
$346 CA$493
764.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$31.3K $31.3K
$10.5K CA$15.0K
197.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.7 $77.7
$43.29 CA$61.7
79.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$54.9 $54.9
$37.78 CA$53.9
45.21%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$126 $126
$85.2 CA$121
47.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$165 $165
$101 CA$144
63.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$1,631 CA$2,325
47.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,963 $1,963
$1,451 CA$2,069
35.26%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,788 $4,788
$2,478 CA$3,532
93.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,561 $3,561
$2,064 CA$2,941
72.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,430 $7,430
$7,199 CA$10.3K
3.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,010 $5,010
$5,391 CA$7,684
-7.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Seattle, WA
Mississauga
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,280 $6,280
$3,230 CA$4,604
94.42%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.85
4.55
50.55%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Mississauga: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Seattle, WA
$2K
Mississauga
$1.5K 26.1% $512
Groceries & Markets
Seattle, WA
$541
Mississauga
$345 36.2% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Seattle, WA
$459
Mississauga
$217 52.7% $242
Eating Out
Seattle, WA
$402
Mississauga
$258 35.9% $144
Clothing & Footwear
Seattle, WA
$191
Mississauga
$120 37% $70
Getting Around
Seattle, WA
$132
Mississauga
$119 10.3% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Seattle, WA
$115
Mississauga
$60 47.8% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,631 in Mississauga. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 94% 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 $70.0 in Mississauga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $345 per month, with Mississauga cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Seattle, WA
🇨🇦 Mississauga
🕒 Local time
07:24 7:24 AM
10:24 10:24 AM
3 h ahead of Seattle, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
737,015
721,599
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Seattle, WA Mississauga 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Seattle, WA
  • Mississauga

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 Mississauga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Seattle, WA and in Mississauga?
Seattle, WA and Mississauga differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($3,744 vs $2,572 including rent). Mississauga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Seattle, WA or Mississauga?
Average pay runs 94% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Seattle, WA and in Mississauga?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,631 in Mississauga. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Mississauga – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Seattle, WA or Mississauga?
All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,572 in Mississauga – a 46% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Mississauga is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Seattle, WA and Mississauga?
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.
Is Seattle, WA or Mississauga safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Seattle, WA and Mississauga are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Seattle, WA or Mississauga?
Expats usually find Mississauga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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