Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,388 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
Learn more

Ottawa Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,388 in Ottawa, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Ottawa $2,388

A couple spends around $5,703 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,474 in Ottawa, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Ottawa $3,474

A family of three spends $7,661 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,559 in Ottawa, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Ottawa $4,559

Seattle, WA costs about 57% more than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Ottawa sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 179%, Ottawa by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$18.59 CA$26.49

32.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$77.0 CA$110

29.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.60 CA$15.12

44.34%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.94 CA$5.61

68.02%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.01 CA$2.87

61.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.78 CA$2.53

74.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.57 CA$7.94

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.19 CA$8.82

28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.29 CA$3.27

-47.16%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.10 CA$4.42

59.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.21 CA$4.57

92.21%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.47 CA$4.95

42.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.47 CA$14.93

81.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.17 CA$15.91

67.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$17.68 CA$25.20

30.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.76 CA$5.36

57.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.38 CA$1.97

40.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.77 CA$5.37

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.54 CA$5.05

85.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.65 CA$3.78

36.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.41 CA$3.44

31.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.63 CA$3.76

10.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.59 CA$2.27

49.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$14.49 CA$20.65

-14.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.80 CA$16.82

27.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.61 CA$3.72

64.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.29 CA$4.69

72.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.77 CA$3.94

10.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$93.9 CA$134

15.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.72 CA$3.88

-2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.51 CA$2.15

15.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$19.16 CA$27.31

56.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.20 CA$1.71

21.67%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.8K CA$39.7K

32.03%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.1K CA$30.0K

21.91%

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

$299 $299

$136 CA$194

119.97%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$36.63 CA$52.2

90.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$50.4 CA$71.8

78.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$45.79 CA$65.3

74.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$27.77 CA$39.59

28.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.82 CA$18.28

35.18%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$913 CA$1,301

227.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$16.1K CA$23.0K

93.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$61.2 CA$87.3

26.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$38.63 CA$55.1

42.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$106 CA$151

18.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$97.6 CA$139

69.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,490 CA$2,124

61.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,206 CA$1,719

62.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,204 CA$3,141

117.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,836 CA$2,617

93.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$4,287 CA$6,111

73.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$4,457 CA$6,353

12.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,712 CA$5,292

69.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.14

65.46%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2% 38.6% $757

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Ottawa

$366 15.3% 32.3% $174

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Ottawa

$223 9.3% 51.4% $236

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Ottawa

$283 11.8% 29.5% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Ottawa

$137 5.7% 28.4% $54

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Ottawa

$115 4.8% 12.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Ottawa

$71 3% 37.7% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,490 in Ottawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 69% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Seattle, WA versus $77.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $541 vs $366 – making Ottawa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

00:19 12:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 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).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Ottawa 3,520 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Ottawa

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 Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA, $2,388 in Ottawa – roughly 57% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,616 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,582 in Ottawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,388 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 16% less in Ottawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,744 in Seattle, WA and $2,388 in Ottawa. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,388 in Ottawa to $3,744 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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