Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Nanaimo, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Nanaimo, BC: $2,383 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,383

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Nanaimo, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Nanaimo, BC $2,383

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,379 in Nanaimo, BC.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Nanaimo, BC $3,379

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,375 in Nanaimo, BC.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Nanaimo, BC $4,375

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 58% more expensive than in Nanaimo, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Nanaimo, BC 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.55 CA$24.69

35.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$77.9 CA$110

26.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.35 CA$15.97

31.63%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.97 CA$5.58

71.03%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.27 CA$3.19

42.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.63 CA$2.29

93.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.89 CA$8.28

39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.69 CA$8.00

38.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.67 CA$2.35

-29.94%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.32 CA$4.66

59.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.16 CA$4.44

82.28%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.24 CA$5.97

15.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$11.51 CA$16.19

75.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.86 CA$19.49

29.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.38 CA$24.44

34.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.30 CA$6.05

38.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.29 CA$1.82

46.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.43 CA$6.24

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.78 CA$8.12

13.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.41 CA$3.39

40.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.85 CA$4.01

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.82 CA$3.97

2.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.31 CA$3.25

5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.51 CA$20.40

-16.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.04 CA$19.74

8.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.55 CA$3.59

71.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.64 CA$3.71

123.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.95 CA$2.74

51.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$46.89 CA$66.0

132.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.83 CA$3.98

-10.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.94 CA$2.73

-11.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$36.00 CA$50.6

-17.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.34 CA$1.89

12.69%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$26.0K CA$36.5K

39.24%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

22.47%

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

$289 $289

$149 CA$209

93.87%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$40.43 CA$56.9

70.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.5 CA$93.5

27.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$25.98 CA$36.54

167.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$19.63 CA$27.60

78.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$10.98 CA$15.44

63.66%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$699 CA$983

303.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$15.1K CA$21.2K

191.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$50.2 CA$70.5

81.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$33.30 CA$46.83

65.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$99.5 CA$140

27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$113 CA$159

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,445 CA$2,033

78.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,191 CA$1,675

63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,060 CA$2,897

147.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,639 CA$2,305

116.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$3,800 CA$5,345

93.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,417 CA$4,805

44.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,169 CA$4,457

103.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.72

44.07%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 50% 38.7% $752

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Nanaimo, BC

$409 17.2% 24.7% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.7% 42.2% $187

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Nanaimo, BC

$279 11.7% 30.2% $121

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Nanaimo, BC

$133 5.6% 32% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Nanaimo, BC

$67 2.8% 49.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2% 54.5% $57

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $78 in Nanaimo, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $409 per month, with Nanaimo, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

90,504

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs Nanaimo, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nanaimo, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Nanaimo, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2 times higher, 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Nanaimo, BC runs roughly 57% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $699 in Nanaimo, BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Nanaimo, BC 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.

Expats usually find Nanaimo, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.