Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Squamish, BC and Seattle, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Squamish, BC: $2,651 a month against $3,762 in Seattle, WA, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index
182

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

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Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,651

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Squamish, BC and in Seattle, WA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Squamish, BC and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,651 in Squamish, BC versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA.

Squamish, BC $2,651
Seattle, WA $3,762

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,033 in Squamish, BC versus $5,651 in Seattle, WA.

Squamish, BC $4,033
Seattle, WA $5,651

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,415 in Squamish, BC versus $7,541 in Seattle, WA.

Squamish, BC $5,415
Seattle, WA $7,541

Living in Squamish, BC costs roughly 30% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Squamish, BC 96% above, Seattle, WA 178% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 CA$22.91

$23.80 $23.80

-31.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.7 CA$75.6

$98.6 $98.6

-45.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 CA$15.13

$14.94 $14.94

-27.98%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.55

$6.79 $6.79

-41.97%

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

$1.86 CA$2.61

$3.23 $3.23

-42.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$3.15 $3.15

-52.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.78 CA$8.13

$8.21 $8.21

-29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 CA$8.25

$7.87 $7.87

-25.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 CA$2.41

$1.17 $1.17

46.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 CA$3.03

$5.29 $5.29

-59.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.98

$5.76 $5.76

-38.54%

Eggs

$3.11 CA$4.37

$4.89 $4.89

-36.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.80 CA$18.00

$20.25 $20.25

-36.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.44 CA$21.71

$17.95 $17.95

-13.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.65 CA$27.63

$23.35 $23.35

-15.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.86

$5.94 $5.94

-5.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 CA$1.74

$1.89 $1.89

-34.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.14

$5.35 $5.35

-5.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.16

$6.57 $6.57

-44.14%

Potato (1kg)

$4.19 CA$5.89

$3.39 $3.39

23.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.72

$2.88 $2.88

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$2.89 $2.89

-9.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 CA$2.71

$2.43 $2.43

-20.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.12 CA$21.27

$12.18 $12.18

24.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.62 CA$14.94

$15.24 $15.24

-30.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 CA$4.07

$4.38 $4.38

-33.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 CA$5.00

$5.89 $5.89

-39.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 CA$1.97

$2.96 $2.96

-52.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.14 CA$42.38

$109 $109

-72.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 CA$4.15

$2.52 $2.52

17.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 CA$2.38

$1.72 $1.72

-1.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.16 CA$42.41

$29.70 $29.70

1.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.51 $1.51

-21.19%

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

$26.7K CA$37.6K

$36.2K $36.2K

-26.14%

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

$19.2K CA$26.9K

$25.7K $25.7K

-25.47%

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

$119 CA$167

$289 $289

-58.95%

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

$44.01 CA$61.9

$69.1 $69.1

-36.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 CA$92.7

$84.8 $84.8

-22.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.5 CA$71.0

$69.4 $69.4

-27.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.05 $35.05

Cinema Ticket

$12.32 CA$17.32

$17.97 $17.97

-31.44%

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

$1,088 CA$1,530

$2,819 $2,819

-61.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K CA$19.0K

$43.9K $43.9K

-69.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 CA$73.0

$91.2 $91.2

-43.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.70 CA$61.5

$55.1 $55.1

-20.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 CA$121

$127 $127

-32.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$162 $162

-29.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,332

$2,579 $2,579

-35.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,495 CA$2,102

$1,943 $1,943

-23.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,271 CA$4,600

$5,100 $5,100

-35.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 CA$4,014

$3,541 $3,541

-19.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,942 CA$8,356

$7,357 $7,357

-19.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,921 $4,921

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,180 CA$4,473

$6,448 $6,448

-50.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

6.8

-30.59%

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

Last update for Squamish, BC: November 1, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.4%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 30% $448

Groceries & Markets

Squamish, BC

$408 15.4%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 33.3% $136

Eating Out

Squamish, BC

$264 10%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 51.1% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Squamish, BC

$228 8.6%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 93.8% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Squamish, BC

$134 5%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 46.7% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Squamish, BC

$75 2.8%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 40.3% $30

Getting Around

Squamish, BC

$47 1.8%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 180% $85

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,658 in Squamish, BC and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Squamish, BC vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $544 per month, with Squamish, BC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

11:05 11:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

1 h behind Squamish, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,512

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Squamish, BC Seattle, WA 240 km

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Squamish, BC is about 30% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Squamish, BC. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,658 in Squamish, BC versus $2,579 in Seattle, WA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Squamish, BC – a meal for two runs $54 versus $99 in Seattle, WA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,651 per month in Squamish, BC versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – Squamish, BC is about 30% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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 Squamish, BC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.