Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Ontario, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Ontario, CA: $3,259 a month against $3,785 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Ontario, CA
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Ontario, CA Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,785

/mo nomad

Ontario, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,259

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Ontario, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,785 in Seattle, WA versus $3,259 in Ontario, CA.

Seattle, WA $3,785
Ontario, CA $3,259

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,688 in Seattle, WA versus $4,446 in Ontario, CA.

Seattle, WA $5,688
Ontario, CA $4,446

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,592 in Seattle, WA versus $5,634 in Ontario, CA.

Seattle, WA $7,592
Ontario, CA $5,634

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 16% more expensive than in Ontario, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Ontario, CA 139% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$20.22 $20.22

25.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$76.3 $76.3

32.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.76 $14.76

$14.80 $14.80

-0.27%

Cappuccino

$6.50 $6.50

$5.86 $5.86

10.92%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.19 $3.19

0.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.36 $2.36

33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.09 $7.09

12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.62 $9.62

-15.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.09 $1.09

7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.12 $4.12

28.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$4.70 $4.70

36.17%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.73 $4.73

6.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.71 $18.71

$13.18 $13.18

41.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.72 $18.72

$8.78 $8.78

113.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.88 $22.88

$15.36 $15.36

48.96%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.60 $4.60

31.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 $1.71

14.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.08 $4.08

35.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$5.45 $5.45

19.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$3.60 $3.60

-3.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.25 $2.25

46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.98 $1.98

41.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.93 $1.93

33.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.49 $12.49

$12.01 $12.01

4.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$14.99 $14.99

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.91 $1.91

119.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.29 $4.29

35.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.98 $1.98

54.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$45.16 $45.16

134.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$6.38 $6.38

-59.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 $30.12

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.45 $1.45

-2.76%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$29.0K $29.0K

26.75%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.0K $27.0K

-1.49%

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

$308 $308

$216 $216

42.46%

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

$69.2 $69.2

$68.6 $68.6

0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$63.4 $63.4

35.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.5 $76.5

$47.73 $47.73

60.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.50 $35.50

$29.40 $29.40

20.75%

Cinema Ticket

$18.02 $18.02

$17.76 $17.76

1.46%

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

$2,746 $2,746

$1,169 $1,169

134.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.6K $30.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.2 $79.2

$58.5 $58.5

35.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.3 $54.3

$40.06 $40.06

35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$93.6 $93.6

35.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$104 $104

52.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,508 $2,508

$1,829 $1,829

37.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,938 $1,938

$1,891 $1,891

2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,117 $5,117

$3,154 $3,154

62.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,542 $3,542

$2,621 $2,621

35.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,374 $7,374

$4,369 $4,369

68.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,002 $5,002

$3,557 $3,557

40.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,470 $6,470

$3,635 $3,635

78.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

6.39

7.82%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ontario, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.2%

Ontario, CA

$1.9K 58% 2.5% $48

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$547 14.5%

Ontario, CA

$391 12% 28.6% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$463 12.2%

Ontario, CA

$348 10.7% 24.8% $115

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$406 10.7%

Ontario, CA

$353 10.8% 13% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Ontario, CA

$133 4.1% 29.3% $55

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Ontario, CA

$59 * 1.8% 53.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$112 3%

Ontario, CA

$83 2.6% 26% $29

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 $2,508 in Seattle, WA and $1,829 in Ontario, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 78% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $76 in Ontario, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $547 vs $391 per month, with Ontario, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 Ontario, CA

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

Same time as Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

185,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Ontario, CA 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Ontario, CA

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 Ontario, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ontario, CA is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 78% 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: $2,508 in Seattle, WA versus $1,829 in Ontario, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,746 in Seattle, WA versus $1,169 in Ontario, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Ontario, CA 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 Ontario, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.