Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Seattle, WA

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.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
182

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

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver 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 Vancouver and in Seattle, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 29% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$23.80 $23.80

-23.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$98.6 $98.6

-28.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$14.94 $14.94

-29.25%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$6.79 $6.79

-41.53%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$3.23 $3.23

-35.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$3.15 $3.15

-41.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$8.21 $8.21

-30.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$7.87 $7.87

-16.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$1.17 $1.17

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$5.29 $5.29

-51.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$5.76 $5.76

-25.35%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$4.89 $4.89

-16.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$20.25 $20.25

-40.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$17.95 $17.95

-26.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$23.35 $23.35

-13.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$5.94 $5.94

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.89 $1.89

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$5.35 $5.35

-30.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$6.57 $6.57

-40.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$3.39 $3.39

-15.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$2.88 $2.88

3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.89 $2.89

-9.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$2.43 $2.43

-32.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$12.18 $12.18

30.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$15.24 $15.24

-6.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$4.38 $4.38

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$5.89 $5.89

-51.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.96 $2.96

-13.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

$109 $109

-22.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.52 $2.52

8.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$29.70 $29.70

7.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$36.2K $36.2K

-26.18%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-18.18%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$289 $289

-69.44%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$69.1 $69.1

-46.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$84.8 $84.8

-41.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$69.4 $69.4

-34.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$35.05 $35.05

-65.39%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$17.97 $17.97

-30.16%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$2,819 $2,819

-62.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$43.9K $43.9K

-35.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$91.2 $91.2

-38.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$55.1 $55.1

-37.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$127 $127

-29.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$162 $162

-41.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$2,579 $2,579

-32.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$1,943 $1,943

-21.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$5,100 $5,100

-39.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$3,541 $3,541

-28.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

$7,357 $7,357

16.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,870

$4,921 $4,921

28.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,284

$6,448 $6,448

-41.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

6.8

-37.65%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Seattle, WA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 27.1% $414

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 36.5% $146

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 41.8% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 153% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 58.3% $72

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 25.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 49.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. 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: $71 in Vancouver vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $544 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

23:48 11:48 PM

1 h behind Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 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 = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 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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Vancouver Seattle, WA 190 km

From you

Vancouver
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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

Vancouver vs Seattle, WA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Vancouver. 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: $1,738 in Vancouver 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 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 $2,683 per month in Vancouver versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – 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.