Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Surrey, Canada

Name: Surrey
Address: Surrey, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Surrey: $2,335 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 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
111

Cost of Living Index in Surrey
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Surrey Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Surrey

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,335

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,335 in Surrey.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Surrey $2,335

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,571 in Surrey.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Surrey $3,571

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $4,807 in Surrey.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Surrey $4,807

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 61% more expensive than in Surrey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Surrey 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.05 CA$25.30

31.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$56.7 CA$79.5

73.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.26 CA$14.38

45.61%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.49 CA$4.89

94.56%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.09 CA$2.92

54.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.58 CA$2.22

99.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.67 CA$7.95

44.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.74 CA$8.05

37.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.62 CA$3.67

-55.34%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.20 CA$3.08

140.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$3.69 CA$5.18

56.10%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$3.56 CA$4.99

37.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$9.99 CA$14.00

102.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$10.45 CA$14.65

71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$20.30 CA$28.45

15.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.33 CA$4.67

78.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.35 CA$1.89

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.00 CA$4.20

78.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.03 CA$4.25

116.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.58 CA$3.61

31.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.07 CA$2.90

39.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.07 CA$2.90

39.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.81 CA$2.54

34.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$14.40 CA$20.18

-15.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.39 CA$20.17

5.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.54 CA$3.56

72.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.27 CA$4.59

80.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.57 CA$3.60

15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$107 CA$151

1.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.66 CA$3.73

-5.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.54 CA$2.16

11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$27.86 CA$39.06

6.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.41 CA$1.97

7.09%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.0K CA$39.3K

29.00%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$22.2K CA$31.1K

15.76%

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

$289 $289

$186 CA$261

55.16%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$37.01 CA$51.9

86.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.1 CA$92.6

28.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$31.97 CA$44.82

117.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$25.27 CA$35.43

38.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.51 CA$17.54

43.65%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$669 CA$937

321.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$18.6K CA$26.1K

135.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$55.1 CA$77.3

65.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$52.8 CA$74.0

4.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$101 CA$141

26.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$90.8 CA$127

78.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,388 CA$1,945

85.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,093 CA$1,532

77.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,553 CA$3,579

99.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,117 CA$2,968

67.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$6,746 CA$9,456

9.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$5,146 CA$7,213

-4.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,095 CA$4,338

108.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.87

39.63%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Surrey: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Surrey

$1.1K 46.8% 43.8% $850

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Surrey

$362 15.5% 33.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Surrey

$289 12.4% 34.7% $153

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Surrey

$272 11.6% 32% $128

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Surrey

$135 5.8% 31.2% $61

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Surrey

$128 5.5% 3.2% $4.2

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Surrey

$57 2.4% 45.9% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,388 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $57 in Surrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $362 per month, with Surrey cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Surrey

🕒 Local time

04:23 4:23 AM

05:23 5:23 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

517,887

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Surrey 180 km

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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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Seattle, WA is about 2.1 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 $1,388 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,819 in Seattle, WA versus $669 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Surrey – a meal for two runs $57 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,335 in Surrey versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Surrey but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Surrey 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.

It comes down to priorities – Surrey wins on affordability, Seattle, WA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.