Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and New Westminster

For one person, living is cheaper in New Westminster: $2,532 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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
120

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in New Westminster

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

A single person spends $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,532 in New Westminster, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,762
New Westminster $2,532

A couple spends around $5,651 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,775 in New Westminster, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,651
New Westminster $3,775

A family of three spends $7,541 per month in Seattle, WA vs $5,019 in New Westminster, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,541
New Westminster $5,019

Seattle, WA costs about 49% more than New Westminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and New Westminster sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 178%, New Westminster by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$19.78 CA$27.82

20.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$52.9 CA$74.4

86.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.55 CA$14.84

41.61%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.51 CA$4.93

93.45%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.99 CA$2.80

62.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.59 CA$2.23

98.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.96 CA$8.38

37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.55 CA$7.81

41.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.88 CA$2.64

-37.77%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.36 CA$3.32

124.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.53 CA$4.96

63.17%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.62 CA$5.09

35.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$11.00 CA$15.47

84.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$15.58 CA$21.91

15.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$27.41 CA$38.55

-14.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.88 CA$5.45

53.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.44 CA$2.03

31.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.69 CA$5.18

44.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.54 CA$4.98

85.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.46 CA$3.45

37.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.20 CA$3.09

30.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.30 CA$3.23

25.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.91 CA$2.68

27.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.85 CA$22.30

-23.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.69 CA$15.04

42.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.06 CA$2.89

112.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.81 CA$3.95

109.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.45 CA$3.45

20.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$91.2 CA$128

19.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.60 CA$3.66

-3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.60 CA$2.26

7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.96 CA$39.33

6.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.34 CA$1.88

12.69%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$24.0K CA$33.7K

50.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

22.91%

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

$289 $289

$145 CA$203

99.73%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$43.66 CA$61.4

58.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.4 CA$93.4

27.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$33.68 CA$47.37

106.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$18.17 CA$25.55

92.90%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.44 CA$17.50

44.45%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$786 CA$1,106

258.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$13.5K CA$19.0K

225.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$53.8 CA$75.6

69.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$45.83 CA$64.5

20.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$83.9 CA$118

51.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$113 CA$159

43.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,590 CA$2,236

62.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,280 CA$1,801

51.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,810 CA$3,952

81.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,262 CA$3,181

56.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$4,896 CA$6,885

50.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$4,043 CA$5,686

21.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,148 CA$4,427

104.83%

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 New Westminster: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

New Westminster

$1.3K 50.6% 34.1% $662

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

New Westminster

$406 16% 25.4% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

New Westminster

$255 10.1% 42.5% $188

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

New Westminster

$287 11.3% 28% $112

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

New Westminster

$134 5.3% 31.9% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

New Westminster

$112 4.4% 15.5% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

New Westminster

$59 2.3% 44.4% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,590 in New Westminster. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Seattle, WA are about 2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Seattle, WA versus $53 in New Westminster. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $544 vs $406 – making New Westminster the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🕒 Local time

11:09 11:09 AM

12:09 12:09 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

58,000

💱 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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Seattle, WA New Westminster 180 km

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Seattle, WA
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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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA costs about 49% more than New Westminster, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,642 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,798 in New Westminster. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Westminster, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,590 there versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA.

Kindergarten costs $2,819 per month in Seattle, WA and $786 in New Westminster. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Seattle, WA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,762 in Seattle, WA and $2,532 in New Westminster. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward New Westminster – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with New Westminster. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.