Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Port Alberni

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Alberni: $1,698 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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
81

Cost of Living Index in Port Alberni
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Port Alberni Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Port Alberni

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Port Alberni

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $1,698 in Port Alberni.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Port Alberni $1,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $2,856 in Port Alberni.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Port Alberni $2,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,013 in Port Alberni.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Port Alberni $4,013

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 122% more expensive than in Port Alberni, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Port Alberni 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.20 CA$25.71

30.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$61.8 CA$87.3

59.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.66 CA$15.06

40.15%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.97 CA$5.60

71.03%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.12 CA$2.99

52.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.45 CA$2.05

117.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.54 CA$5.00

131.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.42 CA$7.65

45.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.13 CA$3.01

-45.07%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.33 CA$3.29

127.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.84 CA$4.01

102.82%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.88 CA$5.48

26.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$9.41 CA$13.30

115.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$4.39 CA$6.21

308.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.81 CA$27.99

17.87%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.84 CA$4.02

109.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.09 CA$1.54

73.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.60 CA$5.09

48.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.57 CA$5.04

84.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.10 CA$2.97

61.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.84 CA$2.60

56.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.16 CA$3.05

33.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.69 CA$0.97

252.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$10.88 CA$15.37

11.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.90 CA$15.40

39.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.50 CA$3.53

75.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.78 CA$3.93

111.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.46 CA$2.07

102.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$34.80 CA$49.17

213.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.73 CA$3.86

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.62 CA$2.29

6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$32.19 CA$45.48

-7.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.21 CA$1.71

24.79%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$26.2K CA$37.0K

38.07%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

18.95%

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

$289 $289

$86.8 CA$123

232.81%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$36.12 CA$51.0

91.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$50.3 CA$71.1

68.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$42.15 CA$59.6

64.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.67 CA$17.90

41.83%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,067 CA$1,507

164.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$29.2K CA$41.3K

50.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$57.5 CA$81.2

58.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$33.76 CA$47.70

63.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.4 CA$130

37.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$92.0 CA$130

76.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$796 CA$1,125

223.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$713 CA$1,007

172.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$1,702 CA$2,404

199.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,733 CA$2,448

104.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,108 CA$4,391

107.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.24

60.38%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Port Alberni

$713 42% 63.3% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Port Alberni

$301 17.7% 44.7% $243

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Port Alberni

$173 10.2% 60.9% $269

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Port Alberni

$268 15.8% 32.8% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Port Alberni

$124 7.3% 36.7% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Port Alberni

$52 3% 61% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Port Alberni

$67 4% 36% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $796 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $62 in Port Alberni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $301 per month, with Port Alberni cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Port Alberni

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

17:22 5:22 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

17,743

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 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 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 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 Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni is about 55% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.1 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 $796 in Port Alberni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $62 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,698 in Port Alberni – Port Alberni is about 55% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,698 in Port Alberni versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port Alberni but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Port Alberni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Port Alberni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.