Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Victoria, Canada

Name: Victoria
Address: Victoria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $2,551 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $14,500 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
122

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,551

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,762 in Seattle, WA versus $2,551 in Victoria.

Seattle, WA $3,762
Victoria $2,551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,651 in Seattle, WA versus $3,858 in Victoria.

Seattle, WA $5,651
Victoria $3,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,541 in Seattle, WA versus $5,165 in Victoria.

Seattle, WA $7,541
Victoria $5,165

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 178% above, Victoria 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.80 $23.80

$17.92 CA$25.32

32.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$72.7 CA$103

35.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.02 CA$16.99

24.29%

Cappuccino

$6.79 $6.79

$4.32 CA$6.10

57.18%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$2.29 CA$3.23

41.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.83 CA$2.58

72.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$5.87 CA$8.29

39.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.74 CA$9.53

16.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.71 CA$3.83

-56.83%

White Bread (500g)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.16 CA$4.46

67.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.05 CA$5.72

42.22%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.23 CA$5.98

15.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.25 $20.25

$28.22 CA$39.87

-28.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.95 $17.95

$12.08 CA$17.06

48.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.35 $23.35

$14.46 CA$20.42

61.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$3.96 CA$5.60

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.42 CA$2.00

33.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.96 CA$5.59

35.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.21 CA$5.94

56.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.39 $3.39

$3.56 CA$5.03

-4.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.88 CA$4.06

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.28 CA$4.63

-11.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.49 CA$3.51

-2.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.18 $12.18

$15.60 CA$22.04

-21.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$17.65 CA$24.93

-13.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.98 CA$5.62

10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.28 CA$4.64

79.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.21 CA$3.12

33.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$61.1 CA$86.3

78.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.90 CA$4.09

-13.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.62 CA$2.29

6.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.70 $29.70

$36.09 CA$51.0

-17.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.37 CA$1.93

10.22%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$28.2K CA$39.9K

28.23%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$21.0K CA$29.6K

22.57%

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

$289 $289

$106 CA$150

172.51%

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

$69.1 $69.1

$44.07 CA$62.3

56.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.8 $84.8

$62.7 CA$88.6

35.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.4 $69.4

$42.49 CA$60.0

63.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

$17.39 CA$24.57

101.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.97 $17.97

$10.61 CA$14.99

69.37%

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

$2,819 $2,819

$880 CA$1,243

220.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.9K $43.9K

$30.0K CA$42.4K

46.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 $91.2

$54.3 CA$76.8

67.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 $55.1

$42.04 CA$59.4

30.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 $127

$92.8 CA$131

36.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 $162

$107 CA$152

51.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,579 $2,579

$1,570 CA$2,218

64.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,943 $1,943

$1,303 CA$1,840

49.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,100 $5,100

$2,819 CA$3,982

80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,541 $3,541

$2,301 CA$3,251

53.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,357 $7,357

$5,583 CA$7,887

31.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

$4,582 CA$6,473

7.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,448 $6,448

$3,229 CA$4,562

99.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

4.26

59.62%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Victoria: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6%

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1% 32.9% $640

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5%

Victoria

$467 18.3% 14.2% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8%

Victoria

$213 8.3% 51.9% $230

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6%

Victoria

$291 11.4% 27.2% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2%

Victoria

$133 5.2% 31.9% $63

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Victoria

$81 3.2% 38.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8%

Victoria

$64 2.5% 39.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,579 in Seattle, WA and $1,570 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 100% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Seattle, WA vs $73 in Victoria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $544 vs $467 per month, with Victoria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Victoria

🕒 Local time

19:02 7:02 PM

20:02 8:02 PM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

85,792

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria is about 32% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% 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 $1,570 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Victoria – a meal for two runs $73 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 $2,551 in Victoria – Victoria is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $2,551 in Victoria versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Victoria but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria 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 Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.