Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,808 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $1,808 in Thompson.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Thompson $1,808

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $2,730 in Thompson.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Thompson $2,730

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $3,652 in Thompson.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Thompson $3,652

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 107% more expensive than in Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Thompson 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$17.37 CA$24.71

41.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$63.3 CA$90.0

57.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.63 CA$15.12

43.93%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$3.62 CA$5.15

82.87%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$1.96 CA$2.79

65.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.62 CA$2.30

91.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$5.33 CA$7.58

45.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$5.60 CA$7.97

41.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.13 CA$3.02

-43.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.49 CA$3.55

98.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.20 CA$4.56

92.81%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.33 CA$4.74

48.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$10.09 CA$14.35

88.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.46 CA$16.30

63.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$14.70 CA$20.91

57.41%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.65 CA$5.19

62.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.17 CA$1.67

65.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.77 CA$5.37

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.16 CA$5.92

57.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.40 CA$3.42

50.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.20 CA$3.13

43.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.42 CA$3.44

20.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.60 CA$2.27

48.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$13.73 CA$19.53

-9.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.67 CA$18.02

18.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.69 CA$3.83

59.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$3.04 CA$4.32

87.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.20 CA$3.13

38.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$67.2 CA$95.5

61.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.86 CA$4.07

-7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.38 CA$1.97

26.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$22.69 CA$32.27

32.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 CA$1.60

30.36%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.8K CA$39.6K

32.00%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$20.4K CA$29.1K

25.69%

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

$299 $299

$137 CA$195

118.46%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$37.96 CA$54.0

83.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$53.0 CA$75.4

70.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$41.03 CA$58.4

94.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$15.67 CA$22.28

127.31%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$10.96 CA$15.59

58.12%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$641 CA$911

366.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$13.8K CA$19.6K

127.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$53.5 CA$76.0

45.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$38.21 CA$54.4

43.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$84.0 CA$120

49.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$102 CA$145

61.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$672 CA$956

258.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$674 CA$958

191.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$1,090 CA$1,551

339.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$1,116 CA$1,587

219.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$4,094 CA$5,823

81.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$4,002 CA$5,693

25.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$1,531 CA$2,178

310.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.64

47.63%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Thompson

$674 37.6% 65.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Thompson

$350 19.6% 35.2% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Thompson

$228 12.7% 50.4% $231

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Thompson

$266 14.9% 33.7% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Thompson

$125 7% 34.4% $66

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 35.1% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Thompson

$63 3.5% 45.1% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $672 in Thompson. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 310% 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: $99.0 in Seattle, WA vs $63.0 in Thompson for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $350 per month, with Thompson cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

02:17 2:17 AM

2 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

12,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Seattle, WA Thompson 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thompson is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 310% 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: $2,407 in Seattle, WA versus $672 in Thompson. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thompson – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $99.0 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,744 per month in Seattle, WA versus $1,808 in Thompson – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,808 in Thompson versus $3,744 in Seattle, WA, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Thompson but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Thompson the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thompson 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 Thompson gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.