Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Vaughan

For one person, living is cheaper in Vaughan: $2,554 a month against $3,800 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

185

Cost of Living Index in Seattle, WA
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Seattle, WA Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Vaughan
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Vaughan Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,800

/mo nomad

Vaughan

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,800 in Seattle, WA versus $2,554 in Vaughan.

Seattle, WA $3,800
Vaughan $2,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,702 in Seattle, WA versus $3,726 in Vaughan.

Seattle, WA $5,702
Vaughan $3,726

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,603 in Seattle, WA versus $4,898 in Vaughan.

Seattle, WA $7,603
Vaughan $4,898

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Vaughan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 182% above, Vaughan 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$16.73 CA$23.66

51.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$67.5 CA$95.4

50.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.85 $14.85

$9.99 CA$14.13

48.65%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$3.64 CA$5.15

81.04%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$1.97 CA$2.78

63.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.56 CA$2.21

101.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.18 $8.18

$6.29 CA$8.89

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.03 $8.03

$6.07 CA$8.58

32.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.94 CA$2.74

-37.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.12 $5.12

$2.26 CA$3.19

126.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.69 CA$3.80

134.20%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$2.99 CA$4.22

63.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.10 $19.10

$9.22 CA$13.03

107.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.50 $18.50

$12.10 CA$17.10

52.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.03 $23.03

$13.60 CA$19.22

69.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.41 CA$4.82

70.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.26 CA$1.78

54.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.50 CA$4.95

51.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.21 CA$4.54

101.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.59 CA$2.24

124.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.59 CA$2.25

98.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.21 CA$3.12

28.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.17 CA$1.66

106.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.50 CA$17.68

2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$11.92 CA$16.85

25.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.96 CA$2.78

112.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$1.43 CA$2.02

318.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.74 CA$3.87

10.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$104 CA$147

5.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.06 CA$4.32

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.19 CA$1.69

37.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.58 $29.58

$21.75 CA$30.74

36.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.09 CA$1.54

30.28%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$24.1K CA$34.0K

48.50%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$18.8K CA$26.6K

35.77%

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

$299 $299

$110 CA$156

171.01%

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

$70.8 $70.8

$29.17 CA$41.24

142.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 $88.3

$49.57 CA$70.1

78.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.5 $79.5

$31.67 CA$44.77

151.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.37 $35.37

$20.84 CA$29.46

69.72%

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 $17.12

$9.76 CA$13.80

75.41%

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

$3,013 $3,013

$910 CA$1,286

231.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.6K $31.6K

$16.9K CA$24.0K

86.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.2 $77.2

$42.04 CA$59.4

83.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$36.75 CA$52.0

49.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$106 CA$150

18.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$105 CA$148

55.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,464 $2,464

$1,669 CA$2,359

47.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,956 $1,956

$1,478 CA$2,090

32.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,711 $4,711

$2,629 CA$3,716

79.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,550 $3,550

$2,416 CA$3,415

46.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,346 $7,346

$8,700 CA$12.3K

-15.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,048 $5,048

$6,171 CA$8,724

-18.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$2,905 CA$4,107

116.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.39

27.09%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vaughan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.5%

Vaughan

$1.5K 57.9% 24.4% $478

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$542 14.3%

Vaughan

$316 12.4% 41.7% $226

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$458 12.1%

Vaughan

$189 7.4% 58.7% $269

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$409 10.8%

Vaughan

$265 10.4% 35.1% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$189 5%

Vaughan

$130 5.1% 31.2% $59

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$133 3.5%

Vaughan

$124 4.9% 6.6% $8.8

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$114 3%

Vaughan

$51 2% 55% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,464 in Seattle, WA and $1,669 in Vaughan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 116% 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 $67.0 in Vaughan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $542 vs $316 per month, with Vaughan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Vaughan

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

16:22 4:22 PM

3 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

323,103

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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 Vaughan 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Seattle, WA
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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 Vaughan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vaughan is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 49% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 116% 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 $1,669 in Vaughan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vaughan – a meal for two runs $67.0 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 $2,554 in Vaughan – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

For families, Vaughan 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 Vaughan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.