Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,002 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
Learn more

Seattle, WA Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
Learn more

Sarnia Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,002 in Sarnia, rent included.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Sarnia $2,002

A couple spends around $5,702 per month in Seattle, WA vs $2,788 in Sarnia, rent included.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Sarnia $2,788

A family of three spends $7,603 per month in Seattle, WA vs $3,574 in Sarnia, rent included.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Sarnia $3,574

Seattle, WA costs about 90% more than Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Seattle, WA and Sarnia sit above the global median – Seattle, WA by 182%, Sarnia by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$13.54 CA$19.25

87.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$45.30 CA$64.4

124.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.77 CA$13.89

52.00%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$2.95 CA$4.20

123.39%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.93 CA$2.75

66.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.37 CA$1.94

129.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.26 CA$6.05

92.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.72 CA$8.13

40.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.25 CA$1.77

-3.20%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.39 CA$3.40

114.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.42 CA$3.45

160.33%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.77 CA$3.94

76.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$11.04 CA$15.70

73.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$11.18 CA$15.90

65.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.68 CA$19.44

68.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.51 CA$5.00

65.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.17 CA$1.67

66.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.48 CA$4.95

52.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.46 CA$4.93

87.28%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.32 CA$1.87

170.45%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.80 CA$2.56

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.63 CA$2.32

74.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.26 CA$1.79

92.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.21 CA$17.36

4.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$9.98 CA$14.19

50.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.42 CA$3.44

72.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$2.77 CA$3.94

116.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.30 CA$3.27

32.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$56.7 CA$80.7

94.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.43 CA$3.46

4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.70 CA$2.42

-3.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$27.85 CA$39.60

6.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.17 CA$1.66

21.37%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.4K CA$38.9K

30.51%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.8K CA$26.8K

35.78%

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

$299 $299

$138 CA$197

115.94%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$29.32 CA$41.69

141.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$45.42 CA$64.6

94.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$23.76 CA$33.78

234.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$17.73 CA$25.20

99.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$11.50 CA$16.35

48.87%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$349 CA$497

762.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$15.8K CA$22.5K

100.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$55.3 CA$78.7

39.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$29.75 CA$42.29

85.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$74.0 CA$105

69.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$73.0 CA$104

122.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,342 CA$1,907

83.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,032 CA$1,467

89.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,432 CA$3,457

93.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,451 CA$2,063

144.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$3,061 CA$4,352

105.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.09

34.58%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Sarnia

$1K 51.5% 47.3% $924

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Sarnia

$310 15.5% 42.8% $232

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Sarnia

$213 10.7% 53.5% $245

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Sarnia

$219 10.9% 46.4% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Sarnia

$104 5.2% 44.8% $85

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Sarnia

$77 3.8% 42.2% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Sarnia

$47 2.3% 58.9% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,342 in Sarnia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 105% higher in Seattle, WA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA versus $45.00 in Sarnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $542 vs $310 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

22:47 10:47 PM

01:47 1:47 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

71,594

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 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 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Seattle, WA Sarnia 3,130 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Sarnia

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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA, $2,002 in Sarnia – roughly 90% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,701 per month in Seattle, WA and $3,003 in Sarnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarnia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Seattle, WA and $45.00 in Sarnia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,800 in Seattle, WA and $2,002 in Sarnia. That's a gap of about 90%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Seattle, WA at $3,800. In Sarnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Seattle, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Seattle, WA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,002 in Sarnia to $3,800 in Seattle, WA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sarnia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Seattle, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.