Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Toronto

For one person, living is cheaper in Toronto: $2,530 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 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
125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,530

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,530 in Toronto.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Toronto $2,530

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $3,646 in Toronto.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Toronto $3,646

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $4,761 in Toronto.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Toronto $4,761

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Toronto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Toronto 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$17.67 CA$25.13

38.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$77.4 CA$110

28.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$10.47 CA$14.90

46.13%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$4.08 CA$5.80

62.25%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.12 CA$3.01

53.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.76 CA$2.50

76.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.17 CA$8.78

25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.89 CA$9.80

15.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.43 CA$3.46

-50.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.75 CA$3.91

79.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$2.23 CA$3.17

176.68%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.45 CA$4.90

43.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$8.93 CA$12.71

112.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$11.44 CA$16.27

63.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$14.61 CA$20.78

58.38%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.75 CA$5.33

58.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.15 CA$1.63

68.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$3.55 CA$5.05

46.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$4.28 CA$6.09

53.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.85 CA$2.62

95.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.67 CA$2.37

89.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.22 CA$3.15

31.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.21 CA$1.72

96.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$13.88 CA$19.74

-10.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.25 CA$20.27

5.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.20 CA$3.12

95.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$2.42 CA$3.44

135.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.42 CA$3.44

26.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$111 CA$158

-1.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.90 CA$4.12

-8.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.26 CA$1.79

38.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

$22.03 CA$31.33

36.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.22 CA$1.74

19.67%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$27.6K CA$39.3K

32.97%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

29.56%

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

$299 $299

$122 CA$173

145.67%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$32.03 CA$45.56

117.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$47.92 CA$68.2

88.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$38.90 CA$55.3

105.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

$23.24 CA$33.05

53.27%

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$12.61 CA$17.94

37.43%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$834 CA$1,186

258.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

$23.3K CA$33.2K

34.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$52.6 CA$74.8

47.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$40.26 CA$57.3

36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$96.2 CA$137

30.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$123 CA$175

34.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,598 CA$2,273

50.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,435 CA$2,041

36.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,657 CA$3,779

80.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,096 CA$2,981

69.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$8,033 CA$11.4K

-7.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$6,557 CA$9,327

-23.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,743 CA$5,324

67.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

4.47

53.24%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Toronto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Toronto

$1.4K 55.4% 26.9% $528

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Toronto

$340 13.1% 37.1% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Toronto

$202 7.8% 56.1% $257

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Toronto

$282 10.9% 29.9% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Toronto

$140 5.4% 26.3% $50

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Toronto

$130 5% 1.9% $2.5

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Toronto

$64 2.5% 44.1% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,598 in Toronto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 68% 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 $77.0 in Toronto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $340 per month, with Toronto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Toronto

🕒 Local time

18:57 6:57 PM

21:57 9:57 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

2,731,571

💱 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 →

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Seattle, WA Toronto 3,320 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Seattle, WA
Toronto

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 Toronto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 68% 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 $1,598 in Toronto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Toronto – a meal for two runs $77.0 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 $2,530 in Toronto – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Toronto is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Toronto 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 Toronto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.