Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Pickering, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Pickering, ON: $2,540 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Pickering, ON
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Pickering, ON Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,540

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Pickering, ON

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,540 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Pickering, ON $2,540

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,563 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Pickering, ON $3,563

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $4,586 in Pickering, ON, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Pickering, ON $4,586

Seattle, WA costs about 50% more than Pickering, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Pickering, ON sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Pickering, ON by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$13.80 CA$19.51

83.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$56.7 CA$80.2

78.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$10.44 CA$14.76

42.24%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$2.03 CA$2.88

224.63%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.59 CA$2.24

102.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.55 CA$2.20

102.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.57 CA$6.46

78.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.68 CA$6.61

71.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.16 CA$3.05

-43.98%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.17 CA$3.07

135.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.35 CA$6.14

44.83%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.57 CA$5.05

37.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.36 CA$13.23

104.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$11.24 CA$15.90

64.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.82 CA$19.53

66.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.06 CA$4.33

89.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.53 CA$0.75

267.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.40 CA$3.39

120.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$2.05 CA$2.90

216.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.06 CA$2.91

73.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.64 CA$3.73

19.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.62 CA$3.70

8.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.23 CA$1.74

96.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$13.32 CA$18.83

-4.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$12.75 CA$18.03

17.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.79 CA$2.53

132.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.29 CA$3.24

161.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.75 CA$3.89

10.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$162 CA$228

-31.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.73 CA$3.87

-6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.19 CA$3.10

-25.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$21.56 CA$30.49

37.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.08 CA$1.53

31.48%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$24.6K CA$34.8K

45.11%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.7K CA$27.9K

29.66%

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

$299 $299

$102 CA$144

193.29%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$32.94 CA$46.56

115.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$48.68 CA$68.8

81.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$58.6 CA$82.8

35.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$25.42 CA$35.94

39.14%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$11.11 CA$15.71

54.10%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$503 CA$711

499.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$71.9 CA$102

7.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$52.4 CA$74.0

5.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$80.5 CA$114

56.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$78.4 CA$111

107.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,644 CA$2,324

49.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,437 CA$2,031

36.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,476 CA$3,500

90.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,094 CA$2,961

69.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$4,203 CA$5,942

74.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$3,896 CA$5,508

29.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,911 CA$4,116

115.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.22

62.32%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pickering, ON: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Pickering, ON

$1.4K 56.6% 26.6% $519

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Pickering, ON

$315 12.4% 41.9% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Pickering, ON

$184 7.2% 59.9% $275

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Pickering, ON

$211 8.3% 48.4% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Pickering, ON

$127 5% 32.7% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Pickering, ON

$186 7.3% 40.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Pickering, ON

$81 3.2% 29% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,644 in Pickering, ON. 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 116% 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 $101 in Seattle, WA versus $57.0 in Pickering, ON. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $315 – making Pickering, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Pickering, ON

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

05:11 5:11 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

91,771

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Pickering, ON 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Pickering, ON

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 Pickering, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $2,540 in Pickering, ON – roughly 50% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,811 in Pickering, ON. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pickering, ON, 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 $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,540 in Pickering, ON. That's a gap of about 50%.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Pickering, ON. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,540 in Pickering, ON. 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 $2,540 in Pickering, ON to $3,800 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 Pickering, ON. 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.