Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie: $2,059 a month against $3,782 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,782

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,782 in Seattle, WA versus $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Seattle, WA $3,782
Sault Ste. Marie $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,636 in Seattle, WA versus $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Seattle, WA $5,636
Sault Ste. Marie $3,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,489 in Seattle, WA versus $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Seattle, WA $7,489
Sault Ste. Marie $3,956

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 84% more expensive than in Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Sault Ste. Marie 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.52 $24.52

$17.17 CA$24.28

42.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$70.6 CA$99.8

39.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.79 $14.79

$10.23 CA$14.46

44.57%

Cappuccino

$6.52 $6.52

$3.47 CA$4.90

87.90%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.64 CA$2.32

96.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.35 CA$1.91

134.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$4.68 CA$6.62

67.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$5.00 CA$7.07

60.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.42 CA$3.43

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.14 CA$3.02

140.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$3.27 CA$4.63

85.02%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$2.98 CA$4.22

63.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$8.32 CA$11.76

130.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.97 CA$14.10

89.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.31 $23.31

$10.51 CA$14.86

121.79%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.14 CA$4.43

90.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$0.99 CA$1.40

94.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.06 CA$4.33

71.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.54 CA$5.01

85.59%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.97 CA$2.79

83.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.69 CA$2.39

95.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.77 CA$3.92

0.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.27 CA$1.79

97.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.75 CA$22.26

-22.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.83 $14.83

$10.67 CA$15.08

38.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.84 CA$2.60

129.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.28 CA$3.23

153.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.24 CA$3.16

31.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 $106

$57.5 CA$81.2

84.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.47 CA$4.91

-23.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.31 CA$3.26

-25.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.72 $29.72

$22.97 CA$32.47

29.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 CA$1.52

37.96%

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

$35.9K $35.9K

$26.5K CA$37.5K

35.50%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

29.52%

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

$302 $302

$174 CA$246

73.23%

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

$70.1 $70.1

$44.36 CA$62.7

58.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$76.7 CA$108

11.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$50.3 CA$71.0

54.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.58 $34.58

$17.62 CA$24.90

96.25%

Cinema Ticket

$17.84 $17.84

$11.18 CA$15.80

59.57%

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

$2,973 $2,973

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$4,984 CA$7,046

527.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 $76.6

$45.63 CA$64.5

67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 $54.1

$35.58 CA$50.3

51.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$74.8 CA$106

71.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 $164

$120 CA$170

36.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,445 $2,445

$893 CA$1,262

173.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 $1,947

$931 CA$1,316

109.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,744 $4,744

$1,325 CA$1,873

258.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,469 $3,469

$1,455 CA$2,057

138.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,367 $7,367

$1,868 CA$2,640

294.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,127 $5,127

$5,432 CA$7,679

-5.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,506 $6,506

$3,049 CA$4,310

113.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

5.53

24.59%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2% 52.2% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$546 14.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5% 45.2% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$457 12.1%

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3% 35.4% $162

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$400 10.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4% 36.2% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$190 5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6% 34.7% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$129 3.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4% 37% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5% 36% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,445 in Seattle, WA and $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 113% 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: $98.0 in Seattle, WA vs $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $546 vs $299 per month, with Sault Ste. Marie cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

10:06 10:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

73,368

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Sault Ste. Marie 2,850 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sault Ste. Marie is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 84% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 113% 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: $2,445 in Seattle, WA versus $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $98.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Sault Ste. Marie runs roughly 85% less than in Seattle, WA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $3,782 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sault Ste. Marie but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Sault Ste. Marie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Sault Ste. Marie is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Seattle, WA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Sault Ste. Marie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 84% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.