Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Thunder Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Thunder Bay: $2,179 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Thunder Bay
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Thunder Bay Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Thunder Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,179

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Seattle, WA and in Thunder Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,179 in Thunder Bay.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Thunder Bay $2,179

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,301 in Thunder Bay.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Thunder Bay $3,301

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,423 in Thunder Bay.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Thunder Bay $4,423

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 74% more expensive than in Thunder Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Thunder Bay 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$17.59 CA$24.87

43.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$60.1 CA$84.9

68.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$12.43 CA$17.57

19.47%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.31 CA$4.68

99.09%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.86 CA$2.63

73.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.56 CA$2.20

101.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$5.33 CA$7.53

53.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.98 CA$7.04

61.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.28 CA$3.23

-46.93%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.59 CA$3.67

97.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$3.33 CA$4.71

89.19%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$3.58 CA$5.06

36.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$16.32 CA$23.08

17.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$15.86 CA$22.42

16.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$16.23 CA$22.94

41.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.31 CA$4.68

75.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.16 CA$1.64

68.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.91 CA$5.53

35.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.48 CA$4.92

86.21%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.48 CA$3.51

43.95%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.12 CA$3.00

48.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.85 CA$4.03

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.27 CA$3.22

6.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$10.55 CA$14.92

20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$8.93 CA$12.62

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.01 CA$2.85

107.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$3.01 CA$4.26

99.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.24 CA$3.17

35.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$63.5 CA$89.7

73.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$5.00 CA$7.07

-49.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.05 CA$2.90

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$34.37 CA$48.58

-13.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.18 CA$1.66

20.34%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$27.3K CA$38.6K

30.86%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

35.21%

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

$299 $299

$160 CA$226

87.41%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$56.8 CA$80.3

24.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$80.8 CA$114

9.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$28.63 CA$40.48

177.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$17.26 CA$24.41

104.92%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$17.28 CA$24.43

-0.93%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$663 CA$937

354.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$77.0 CA$109

0.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$34.56 CA$48.86

59.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$76.5 CA$108

64.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$131 CA$185

24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,040 CA$1,471

136.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$925 CA$1,308

111.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$1,837 CA$2,597

156.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$1,675 CA$2,368

111.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,601 CA$3,677

141.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.58

49.56%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Thunder Bay

$925 42.5% 52.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Thunder Bay

$394 18.1% 27.2% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Thunder Bay

$297 13.6% 35.2% $161

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Thunder Bay

$268 12.3% 34.4% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Thunder Bay

$143 6.6% 24.3% $46

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Thunder Bay

$88 4% 34.1% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Thunder Bay

$63 2.9% 44.4% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,040 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 142% 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 $60.0 in Thunder Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $394 per month, with Thunder Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Thunder Bay

🕒 Local time

15:33 3:33 PM

18:33 6:33 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

107,909

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Thunder Bay 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Thunder Bay is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 74% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 142% 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 $1,040 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Thunder Bay – a meal for two runs $60.0 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 $2,179 in Thunder Bay – a 74% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,179 in Thunder Bay versus $3,800 in Seattle, WA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thunder Bay but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Thunder Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.