Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Richmond, Canada

Name: Richmond
Address: Richmond, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Richmond: $2,473 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

182

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Richmond
Learn more

Richmond Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Richmond

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,473 in Richmond.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Richmond $2,473

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,429 in Richmond.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Richmond $3,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,385 in Richmond.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Richmond $4,385

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 52% more expensive than in Richmond, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Richmond 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$16.20 CA$22.79

46.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$71.4 CA$100

38.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$9.28 CA$13.05

60.99%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.25 CA$5.97

59.76%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.06 CA$2.89

56.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.54 CA$2.16

104.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.21 CA$7.32

57.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.61 CA$7.89

40.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.22 CA$3.12

-47.30%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.11 CA$2.97

150.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.26 CA$3.18

154.87%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.18 CA$4.47

53.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$8.98 CA$12.63

125.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$11.07 CA$15.56

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$10.06 CA$14.15

132.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$2.62 CA$3.68

126.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.34 CA$1.88

41.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.59 CA$3.65

106.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.68 CA$5.18

78.53%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.19 CA$3.09

54.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.82 CA$2.56

58.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.08 CA$2.92

38.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.21 CA$1.70

100.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.40 CA$20.25

-15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.93 CA$18.18

17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.18 CA$3.07

100.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.21 CA$3.11

166.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.19 CA$3.08

35.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$80.0 CA$112

36.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.60 CA$3.66

-3.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.55 CA$2.18

10.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.78 CA$39.06

6.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.38 CA$1.94

9.42%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$26.1K CA$36.8K

38.41%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.4K CA$30.0K

20.33%

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

$289 $289

$132 CA$186

118.02%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$33.10 CA$46.55

108.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$45.86 CA$64.5

85.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$24.42 CA$34.35

184.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$2.42 CA$3.41

1348.35%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.30 CA$17.30

46.10%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$617 CA$868

356.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$11.9K CA$16.7K

270.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$51.6 CA$72.6

76.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$31.74 CA$44.64

73.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.9 CA$131

36.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$98.1 CA$138

65.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,834 CA$2,580

40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,429 CA$2,009

35.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,488 CA$3,499

105.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,993 CA$2,803

77.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$8,543 CA$12.0K

-13.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$6,358 CA$8,941

-22.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,091 CA$4,347

108.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.77

42.56%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Richmond: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Richmond

$1.4K 57.8% 26.5% $514

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Richmond

$302 12.2% 44.5% $242

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Richmond

$211 8.6% 52.2% $231

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Richmond

$260 10.5% 34.8% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Richmond

$123 5% 37% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Richmond

$99 4% 25.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Richmond

$49 2% 53.5% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,834 in Richmond. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $71 in Richmond for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $302 per month, with Richmond cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Richmond

🕒 Local time

07:41 7:41 AM

08:41 8:41 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

198,309

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 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 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Richmond 180 km

From you

Seattle, WA
Richmond

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 Richmond: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Richmond wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Seattle, WA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Richmond the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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 $1,834 in Richmond. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Richmond runs roughly 27% less than in Seattle, WA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $617 in Richmond. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Richmond 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 Richmond gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.