Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $1,958 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 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 Stratford, ON
Learn more

Stratford, ON Living Index

Jump to prices

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Stratford, ON

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Stratford, ON $1,958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,116 in Stratford, ON.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Stratford, ON $3,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,273 in Stratford, ON.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Stratford, ON $4,273

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 94% more expensive than in Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Stratford, ON 45% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$17.76 CA$25.24

42.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$49.34 CA$70.1

105.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$11.08 CA$15.75

34.03%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.41 CA$4.85

93.26%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.47 CA$2.08

119.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.33 CA$1.90

136.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$4.08 CA$5.80

100.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.49 CA$6.38

78.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.08 CA$2.96

-41.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.75 CA$3.91

86.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.74 CA$5.32

68.45%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.96 CA$4.20

65.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.86 CA$14.02

93.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$11.08 CA$15.75

66.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$21.37 CA$30.37

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.46 CA$4.91

67.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.01 CA$1.43

93.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$4.27 CA$6.06

23.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$4.61 CA$6.55

40.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.41 CA$4.85

4.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.35 CA$3.34

34.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.45 CA$3.48

16.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.49 CA$2.11

62.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.75 CA$15.27

18.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$10.88 CA$15.46

37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.34 CA$4.75

24.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.03 CA$4.31

97.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.16 CA$3.07

40.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$49.18 CA$69.9

123.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.41 CA$3.43

5.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.79 CA$2.55

-8.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$24.03 CA$34.16

23.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.07 CA$1.51

32.71%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.9K CA$39.6K

28.32%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

28.26%

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

$299 $299

$122 CA$174

144.35%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$38.27 CA$54.4

85.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$31.75 CA$45.13

178.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$42.78 CA$60.8

85.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$19.28 CA$27.41

83.45%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$10.33 CA$14.69

65.73%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$795 CA$1,130

279.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$17.1K CA$24.3K

84.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$61.8 CA$87.8

25.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$36.21 CA$51.5

52.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$85.4 CA$121

47.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$121 CA$172

34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,156 CA$1,643

113.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$864 CA$1,229

126.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,081 CA$2,958

126.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,817 CA$2,583

95.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$3,735 CA$5,309

96.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,655 CA$3,773

136.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.99

37.27%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Stratford, ON

$864 44.1% 55.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Stratford, ON

$375 19.1% 30.8% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Stratford, ON

$192 9.8% 58% $266

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Stratford, ON

$257 13.1% 37.1% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Stratford, ON

$137 7% 27.6% $52

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5% 48% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2% 44.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,156 in Stratford, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 137% 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: $101 in Seattle, WA vs $49.00 in Stratford, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $375 per month, with Stratford, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

00:19 12:19 AM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

31,465

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 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 = 0.704 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 Stratford, ON 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Stratford, ON is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 94% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 137% 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: $2,464 in Seattle, WA versus $1,156 in Stratford, ON. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Stratford, ON – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $101 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,800 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,958 in Stratford, ON – a 94% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,958 in Stratford, ON versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Stratford, ON but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Stratford, ON the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Stratford, ON 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 Stratford, ON gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.