Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Yellowknife

For one person, living is cheaper in Yellowknife: $2,924 a month against $3,744 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 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
143

Cost of Living Index in Yellowknife
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Yellowknife Living Index

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Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,744

/mo nomad

Yellowknife

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,744 in Seattle, WA versus $2,924 in Yellowknife.

Seattle, WA $3,744
Yellowknife $2,924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,703 in Seattle, WA versus $4,087 in Yellowknife.

Seattle, WA $5,703
Yellowknife $4,087

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,661 in Seattle, WA versus $5,250 in Yellowknife.

Seattle, WA $7,661
Yellowknife $5,250

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 28% more expensive than in Yellowknife, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 179% above, Yellowknife 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$19.40 CA$27.65

26.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$83.3 CA$119

19.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 $15.30

$8.39 CA$11.97

82.36%

Cappuccino

$6.62 $6.62

$4.39 CA$6.25

50.80%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.39 CA$3.41

35.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.03 CA$2.89

53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$6.43 CA$9.17

20.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.96 CA$9.91

13.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.75 CA$3.92

-56.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.64 CA$3.77

87.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.17 $6.17

$4.75 CA$6.77

29.89%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$3.15 CA$4.49

57.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.00 $19.00

$6.97 CA$9.94

172.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$15.66 CA$22.33

19.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.14 $23.14

$15.51 CA$22.11

49.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.81 CA$6.85

23.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.51 CA$2.16

28.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$5.06 CA$7.22

2.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$7.17 CA$10.22

-8.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.53 CA$6.46

-20.09%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$3.62 CA$5.16

-12.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.45 CA$4.92

-15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.04 CA$1.49

128.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.36 $12.36

$17.52 CA$24.97

-29.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$14.30 CA$20.38

5.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.14 CA$5.90

3.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$6.33 CA$9.02

-10.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.13 CA$3.04

43.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 $109

$52.8 CA$75.3

105.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$3.13 CA$4.47

-15.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.37 CA$1.95

27.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.02 $30.02

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 CA$1.86

11.45%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$24.2K CA$34.5K

51.71%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$18.8K CA$26.8K

36.38%

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

$299 $299

$355 CA$506

-15.61%

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

$69.7 $69.7

$57.5 CA$81.9

21.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.1 $90.1

$99.7 CA$142

-9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.0 $80.0

$72.1 CA$103

10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.62 $35.62

Cinema Ticket

$17.33 $17.33

$9.54 CA$13.60

81.66%

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

$2,986 $2,986

$593 CA$845

403.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.3K $31.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$62.0 CA$88.3

25.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 $54.9

$34.78 CA$49.57

57.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 $126

$99.6 CA$142

26.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$114 CA$162

44.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,389 CA$1,980

73.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,381 CA$1,968

42.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,788 $4,788

$2,101 CA$2,995

127.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,561 $3,561

$2,059 CA$2,935

72.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,430 $7,430

$2,977 CA$4,244

149.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,010 $5,010

$2,819 CA$4,018

77.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,280 $6,280

$3,989 CA$5,685

57.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

5.32

28.76%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Yellowknife: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Seattle, WA

$2K 51.6%

Yellowknife

$1.4K 47.3% 29.7% $582

Groceries & Markets

Seattle, WA

$541 14.2%

Yellowknife

$430 14.7% 20.6% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Seattle, WA

$459 12.1%

Yellowknife

$512 17.5% 11.5% $53

Eating Out

Seattle, WA

$402 10.6%

Yellowknife

$297 10.2% 26.2% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Seattle, WA

$191 5%

Yellowknife

$140 4.8% 26.8% $51

Getting Around

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5%

Yellowknife

$71 2.4% 46% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Seattle, WA

$115 3%

Yellowknife

$91 3.1% 20.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,407 in Seattle, WA and $1,389 in Yellowknife. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 57% 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 $83.0 in Yellowknife for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $541 vs $430 per month, with Yellowknife cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🇨🇦 Yellowknife

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

04:20 4:20 AM

1 h ahead of Seattle, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

737,015

19,234

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Seattle, WA Yellowknife 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Yellowknife: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yellowknife is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 28% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 57% 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 $1,389 in Yellowknife. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Yellowknife – a meal for two runs $83.0 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 $2,924 in Yellowknife – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Yellowknife is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.