Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,417 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,417

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,417 in Saguenay.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Saguenay $1,417

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,221 in Saguenay.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Saguenay $2,221

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $3,025 in Saguenay.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Saguenay $3,025

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 164% more expensive than in Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Saguenay 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$15.47 CA$22.05

58.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$42.88 CA$61.1

131.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.74 CA$15.31

42.46%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.64 CA$5.19

81.87%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.50 CA$2.14

116.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.21 CA$1.73

157.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.21 CA$7.43

49.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.22 CA$7.45

51.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.05 CA$2.92

-40.98%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.83 CA$4.03

74.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.09 CA$5.83

50.86%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$2.74 CA$3.91

81.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$8.67 CA$12.35

119.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$7.13 CA$10.17

162.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$10.13 CA$14.44

128.43%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.24 CA$6.05

39.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.36 CA$1.94

42.65%

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

$2.93 CA$4.17

23.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.76 CA$3.93

14.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.42 CA$3.45

20.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.80 CA$1.14

197.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$11.81 CA$16.84

4.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$11.29 CA$16.10

33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.21 CA$4.57

33.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.36 CA$4.79

69.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.71 CA$3.86

12.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$56.1 CA$80.0

93.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.81 CA$4.01

-6.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.40 CA$2.00

24.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$27.62 CA$39.36

8.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.14 CA$1.63

28.07%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

33.18%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.5K CA$27.8K

31.80%

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

$299 $299

$62.9 CA$89.7

375.95%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$31.16 CA$44.41

123.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$44.94 CA$64.1

100.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$24.19 CA$34.48

230.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$18.72 CA$26.68

90.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$8.87 CA$12.64

95.38%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$681 CA$970

338.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$9,086 CA$13.0K

244.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$56.9 CA$81.2

36.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$34.40 CA$49.03

59.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$85.6 CA$122

47.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$107 CA$153

53.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$609 CA$868

295.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$459 CA$654

327.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,177 CA$1,678

306.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$930 CA$1,326

282.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$5,613 CA$8,001

32.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$3,390 CA$4,832

47.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$2,552 CA$3,638

146.04%

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 Saguenay: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Saguenay

$459 32.7% 76.6% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Saguenay

$311 22.2% 42.5% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Saguenay

$139 9.9% 69.7% $320

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Saguenay

$247 17.6% 38.5% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Saguenay

$128 9.1% 32.9% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Saguenay

$77 5.5% 41.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Saguenay

$42 3% 63.4% $73

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $609 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 146% 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 $43.00 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $311 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

13:02 1:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

144,723

💱 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 Saguenay 3,740 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
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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 Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Saguenay differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($3,744 vs $1,417 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 146% 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 $609 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,986 in Seattle, WA versus $681 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,417 in Saguenay versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay 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 Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.