Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,893 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
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Quebec City Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Quebec City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,893 in Quebec City.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Quebec City $1,893

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,839 in Quebec City.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Quebec City $2,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $3,785 in Quebec City.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Quebec City $3,785

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 98% more expensive than in Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Quebec City 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$21.19 CA$30.21

15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$64.1 CA$91.3

55.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.97 CA$15.63

39.47%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.66 CA$5.22

80.87%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.07 CA$2.95

57.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.41 CA$2.01

120.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.58 CA$7.95

39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.56 CA$7.92

42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.12 CA$3.02

-42.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.85 CA$4.06

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.25 CA$6.06

45.18%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.18 CA$4.53

55.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$8.87 CA$12.65

114.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$10.52 CA$14.99

77.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$10.39 CA$14.81

122.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.21 CA$6.00

40.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.59 CA$2.26

22.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.70 CA$5.27

40.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$3.91 CA$5.57

67.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.86 CA$4.07

26.57%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.79 CA$3.98

13.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.69 CA$3.84

8.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.43 CA$2.03

66.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$14.87 CA$21.20

-16.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.16 CA$15.91

34.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.15 CA$4.49

36.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.40 CA$4.85

67.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.77 CA$3.94

10.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$69.6 CA$99.3

55.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.90 CA$4.14

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.48 CA$2.11

17.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$34.24 CA$48.80

-12.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.25 CA$1.79

16.80%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.3K CA$40.3K

29.90%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.3K CA$30.4K

20.60%

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

$299 $299

$100 CA$143

198.73%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$31.82 CA$45.35

118.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$44.74 CA$63.8

101.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$34.56 CA$49.26

131.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$15.27 CA$21.76

133.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.87 CA$15.49

59.43%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$685 CA$977

335.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$9,148 CA$13.0K

242.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$59.7 CA$85.1

30.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$50.2 CA$71.5

9.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$89.7 CA$128

40.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$108 CA$153

53.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,025 CA$1,461

134.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$774 CA$1,103

153.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,565 CA$2,231

205.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,278 CA$1,822

178.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$4,737 CA$6,752

56.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,731 CA$3,892

83.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,037 CA$4,330

106.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.44

54.28%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Quebec City

$774 41.2% 60.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Quebec City

$342 18.2% 36.9% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Quebec City

$177 9.4% 61.5% $282

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Quebec City

$299 16% 25.5% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Quebec City

$138 7.4% 27.5% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Quebec City

$91 4.9% 31.1% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Quebec City

$56 3% 50.9% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,025 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 107% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $64.0 in Quebec City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $342 per month, with Quebec City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

530,168

💱 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 →

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Seattle, WA Quebec City 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Quebec City

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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 98% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Quebec City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 107% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $1,025 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,893 in Quebec City – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Quebec City runs roughly 56% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,893 in Quebec City versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Quebec City but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Quebec City the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Quebec City delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,893 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Quebec City hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 98% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.