Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Squamish, BC: $2,651 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Squamish, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,651 in Squamish, BC.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Squamish, BC $2,651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $4,033 in Squamish, BC.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Squamish, BC $4,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,415 in Squamish, BC.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Squamish, BC $5,415

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Squamish, BC 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$16.29 CA$22.91

46.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$53.7 CA$75.6

83.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.76 CA$15.13

38.85%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.94 CA$5.55

72.34%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$1.86 CA$2.61

73.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.51 CA$2.12

108.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.78 CA$8.13

42.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.87 CA$8.25

34.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.71 CA$2.41

-31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.15 CA$3.03

146.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.54 CA$4.98

62.71%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.11 CA$4.37

57.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.80 CA$18.00

58.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$15.44 CA$21.71

16.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$19.65 CA$27.63

18.83%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$5.59 CA$7.86

6.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.23 CA$1.74

53.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$5.08 CA$7.14

5.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.67 CA$5.16

79.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$4.19 CA$5.89

-19.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.64 CA$3.72

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.61 CA$3.67

10.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.93 CA$2.71

25.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.12 CA$21.27

-19.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$10.62 CA$14.94

43.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.90 CA$4.07

51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.55 CA$5.00

65.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.40 CA$1.97

111.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$30.14 CA$42.38

262.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.95 CA$4.15

-14.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.69 CA$2.38

1.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$30.16 CA$42.41

-1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.19 CA$1.68

26.89%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$26.7K CA$37.6K

35.40%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.2K CA$26.9K

34.17%

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

$289 $289

$119 CA$167

143.59%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$44.01 CA$61.9

56.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$65.9 CA$92.7

28.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$50.5 CA$71.0

37.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.32 CA$17.32

45.86%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,088 CA$1,530

159.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$13.5K CA$19.0K

224.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$51.9 CA$73.0

75.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$43.70 CA$61.5

26.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$86.4 CA$121

47.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$115 CA$161

41.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,658 CA$2,332

55.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,495 CA$2,102

29.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$3,271 CA$4,600

55.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,854 CA$4,014

24.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$5,942 CA$8,356

23.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,180 CA$4,473

102.73%

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 Squamish, BC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.4% 23.1% $448

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Squamish, BC

$408 15.4% 25% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Squamish, BC

$228 8.6% 48.4% $214

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Squamish, BC

$264 10% 33.8% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Squamish, BC

$134 5% 31.8% $62

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Squamish, BC

$47 1.8% 64.3% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Squamish, BC

$75 2.8% 28.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,658 in Squamish, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $54 in Squamish, BC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $408 per month, with Squamish, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

11:55 11:55 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

19,512

💱 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 →

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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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 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 $1,658 in Squamish, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Squamish, BC – a meal for two runs $54 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 $2,651 in Squamish, BC – Squamish, BC is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Squamish, BC 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 Squamish, BC 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.