Last update: Nov 2026

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

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.

122

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index
182

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

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Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,551

/mo nomad

Seattle, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,762

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Victoria costs roughly 32% less than in Seattle, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 CA$25.32

$23.80 $23.80

-24.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.7 CA$103

$98.6 $98.6

-26.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 CA$16.99

$14.94 $14.94

-19.54%

Cappuccino

$4.32 CA$6.10

$6.79 $6.79

-36.38%

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

$2.29 CA$3.23

$3.23 $3.23

-29.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.58

$3.15 $3.15

-41.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.29

$8.21 $8.21

-28.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.74 CA$9.53

$7.87 $7.87

-14.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.71 CA$3.83

$1.17 $1.17

131.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 CA$4.46

$5.29 $5.29

-40.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.72

$5.76 $5.76

-29.69%

Eggs

$4.23 CA$5.98

$4.89 $4.89

-13.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.22 CA$39.87

$20.25 $20.25

39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 CA$17.06

$17.95 $17.95

-32.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 CA$20.42

$23.35 $23.35

-38.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.60

$5.94 $5.94

-33.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.89 $1.89

-24.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.59

$5.35 $5.35

-25.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.94

$6.57 $6.57

-35.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 CA$5.03

$3.39 $3.39

5.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.06

$2.88 $2.88

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.28 CA$4.63

$2.89 $2.89

13.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CA$3.51

$2.43 $2.43

2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.60 CA$22.04

$12.18 $12.18

28.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 CA$24.93

$15.24 $15.24

15.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.98 CA$5.62

$4.38 $4.38

-9.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 CA$4.64

$5.89 $5.89

-44.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.12

$2.96 $2.96

-25.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 CA$86.3

$109 $109

-44.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 CA$4.09

$2.52 $2.52

15.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 CA$2.29

$1.72 $1.72

-5.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.09 CA$51.0

$29.70 $29.70

21.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.93

$1.51 $1.51

-9.27%

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

$28.2K CA$39.9K

$36.2K $36.2K

-22.01%

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

$21.0K CA$29.6K

$25.7K $25.7K

-18.41%

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

$106 CA$150

$289 $289

-63.30%

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

$44.07 CA$62.3

$69.1 $69.1

-36.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 CA$88.6

$84.8 $84.8

-26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.49 CA$60.0

$69.4 $69.4

-38.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.39 CA$24.57

$35.05 $35.05

-50.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.61 CA$14.99

$17.97 $17.97

-40.96%

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

$880 CA$1,243

$2,819 $2,819

-68.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.0K CA$42.4K

$43.9K $43.9K

-31.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 CA$76.8

$91.2 $91.2

-40.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 CA$59.4

$55.1 $55.1

-23.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 CA$131

$127 $127

-26.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$152

$162 $162

-33.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 CA$2,218

$2,579 $2,579

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,303 CA$1,840

$1,943 $1,943

-32.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,819 CA$3,982

$5,100 $5,100

-44.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,301 CA$3,251

$3,541 $3,541

-35.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,583 CA$7,887

$7,357 $7,357

-24.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,582 CA$6,473

$4,921 $4,921

-6.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,229 CA$4,562

$6,448 $6,448

-49.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.26

6.8

-37.35%

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

Last update for Victoria: 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

Victoria

$1.3K 51.1%

Seattle, WA

$1.9K 51.6% 49.1% $640

Groceries & Markets

Victoria

$467 18.3%

Seattle, WA

$544 14.5% 16.6% $77

Eating Out

Victoria

$291 11.4%

Seattle, WA

$399 10.6% 37.3% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Victoria

$213 8.3%

Seattle, WA

$443 11.8% 108% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Victoria

$133 5.2%

Seattle, WA

$196 5.2% 46.8% $63

Getting Around

Victoria

$81 3.2%

Seattle, WA

$132 3.5% 63.4% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Victoria

$64 2.5%

Seattle, WA

$105 2.8% 65.4% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,570 in Victoria and $2,579 in Seattle, WA. 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: $73 in Victoria vs $99 in Seattle, WA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $544 per month, with Victoria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Victoria

🇺🇸 Seattle, WA

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

18:52 6:52 PM

1 h behind Victoria

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,792

737,015

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.708 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

1 USD = 0.895 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 7, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.708 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 7, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Victoria Seattle, WA 120 km

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Victoria
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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

Victoria vs Seattle, WA: 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.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Victoria. 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: $1,570 in Victoria 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 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 $2,551 per month in Victoria versus $3,762 in Seattle, WA – 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.