Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saanich

For one person, living is cheaper in Saanich: $2,631 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,631 in Saanich.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Saanich $2,631

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,721 in Saanich.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Saanich $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,811 in Saanich.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Saanich $4,811

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Saanich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Saanich 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.08 CA$25.34

31.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$71.0 CA$99.5

39.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.35 CA$15.91

31.63%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.48 CA$6.29

51.56%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.28 CA$3.20

41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.76 CA$2.47

78.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.75 CA$8.05

42.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.73 CA$9.43

16.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.03 CA$2.84

-42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.09 CA$4.33

71.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.03 CA$4.25

90.10%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.22 CA$5.92

15.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$17.27 CA$24.21

17.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$12.13 CA$17.01

47.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$17.04 CA$23.89

37.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$4.37 CA$6.12

35.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.45 CA$2.04

30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.31 CA$6.04

24.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.84 CA$8.19

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.61 CA$5.06

-6.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.87 CA$4.02

0.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.16 CA$4.43

-8.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.25 CA$3.15

8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.04 CA$19.68

-13.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.60 CA$21.87

-2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.53 CA$3.55

73.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.42 CA$4.79

72.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.26 CA$3.16

30.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$79.7 CA$112

37.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.79 CA$3.91

-9.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.64 CA$2.30

4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$35.20 CA$49.34

-15.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.35 CA$1.89

11.85%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.5K CA$40.0K

26.92%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.4K CA$30.0K

20.22%

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

$289 $289

$120 CA$168

140.34%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$40.69 CA$57.0

69.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.6 CA$93.4

27.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$108 CA$152

-35.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$11.25 CA$15.76

59.73%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$710 CA$995

297.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$15.2K CA$21.3K

189.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$48.55 CA$68.1

87.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$33.72 CA$47.27

63.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.2 CA$129

37.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$108 CA$151

50.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,484 CA$2,080

73.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,327 CA$1,860

46.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,078 CA$2,913

145.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$1,875 CA$2,628

88.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$3,823 CA$5,359

28.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$2,995 CA$4,198

115.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.72

44.07%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saanich: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Saanich

$1.3K 50.4% 31.7% $615

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Saanich

$428 16.3% 21.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Saanich

$227 8.7% 48.6% $215

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Saanich

$291 11.1% 27.1% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Saanich

$127 4.8% 35.2% $69

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Saanich

$100 3.8% 24.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Saanich

$131 5% 24% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,484 in Saanich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.2 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 Saanich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $428 per month, with Saanich cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

23:09 11:09 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

117,735

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 = 0.891 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Saanich 120 km

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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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saanich is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.2 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 $1,484 in Saanich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saanich – a meal for two runs $71 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 $2,631 in Saanich – Saanich is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Saanich 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 Saanich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.