Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,683 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,683 in Vancouver.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Vancouver $2,683

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,963 in Vancouver.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Vancouver $3,963

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,244 in Vancouver.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Vancouver $5,244

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 40% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Vancouver 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$18.10 CA$25.37

31.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$71.0 CA$99.5

38.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$10.57 CA$14.81

41.34%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$3.97 CA$5.56

71.03%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.07 CA$2.90

56.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.85 CA$2.59

70.27%

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

$6.61 CA$9.27

19.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.16 CA$3.02

-45.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$2.58 CA$3.62

105.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.30 CA$6.02

33.95%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.09 CA$5.74

19.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$12.12 CA$16.98

67.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$13.28 CA$18.62

35.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$20.11 CA$28.19

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.96 CA$5.56

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.43 CA$2.00

32.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.71 CA$5.20

44.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$3.92 CA$5.50

67.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$2.87 CA$4.02

18.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.98 CA$4.17

-3.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.61 CA$3.66

10.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.63 CA$2.29

49.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.94 CA$22.35

-23.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$14.25 CA$19.97

6.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.52 CA$3.54

73.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.87 CA$4.03

105.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.57 CA$3.60

15.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$84.4 CA$118

29.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.74 CA$3.85

-8.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.63 CA$2.28

5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$31.90 CA$44.71

-6.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.46 CA$2.04

3.42%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$26.7K CA$37.4K

35.47%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.0K CA$29.5K

22.22%

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

$289 $289

$88.2 CA$124

227.23%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$36.72 CA$51.5

88.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$49.81 CA$69.8

70.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$45.34 CA$63.6

53.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$12.13 CA$17.00

188.95%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$12.55 CA$17.59

43.19%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$1,055 CA$1,479

167.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$28.5K CA$39.9K

54.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$56.4 CA$79.1

61.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$34.37 CA$48.18

60.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$89.8 CA$126

41.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$94.3 CA$132

71.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,738 CA$2,436

48.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,528 CA$2,143

27.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$3,107 CA$4,355

64.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,547 CA$3,570

39.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$8,540 CA$12.0K

-13.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$6,328 CA$8,870

-22.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,770 CA$5,284

71.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.24

60.38%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 21.3% $414

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Vancouver

$398 14.9% 26.8% $146

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Vancouver

$175 6.5% 60.5% $268

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Vancouver

$281 10.5% 29.5% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Vancouver

$124 4.6% 36.8% $72

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Vancouver

$106 3.9% 20.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 33.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,738 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 71% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $71 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $398 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

00:11 12:11 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 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 = 0.891 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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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Seattle, WA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is about 29% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 71% 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: $2,579 in Seattle, WA versus $1,738 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $71 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $3,762 per month in Seattle, WA versus $2,683 in Vancouver – Vancouver is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,683 in Vancouver versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Vancouver but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Vancouver 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.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.