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Seattle vs Vancouver cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Seattle
๐จ๐ฆ Vancouver
At a glance
- Where Vancouver is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (71%โ), Street food (53%โ), Local meal (33%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Vancouver is easier to travel (1.4 vs 1.6). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Seattle 2 vs Vancouver 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Seattle | Vancouver | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 22$22 | C$ 20$14.7 | Vancouver โ33% |
| Street food1 item | $ 14$14 | C$ 9$6.62 | Vancouver โ53% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 50$50 | C$ 52$38.2 | Vancouver โ24% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ33% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 8$8 | C$ 8$5.88 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 16$16 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ22% |
| Bottled water | $ 2.3$2.3 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Vancouver โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.8$2.8 | C$ 3$2.21 | Vancouver โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 16$16 | C$ 17$12.5 | Vancouver โ22% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 11$11 | C$ 11$8.09 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Transitone ride | $ 3$3 | C$ 3.5$2.57 | Vancouver โ14% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 40$40 | C$ 16$11.8 | Vancouver โ71% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | C$ 220$162 | Vancouver โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 2,100$2,100 | C$ 2,350$1,728 | Vancouver โ18% |
| Laundry | $ 4.5$4.5 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Vancouver โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 25$25 | C$ 34$25 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 100$100 | C$ 100$73.5 | Vancouver โ26% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 75$75 | C$ 100$73.5 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 38$38 | C$ 35$25.7 | Vancouver โ32% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Seattle or Vancouver?
Vancouver is 20% cheaper than Seattle. Daily budget $355 vs $291; a month $7,424 vs $5,844.
Which is easier to travel, Seattle or Vancouver?
Vancouver is easier: Vancouver 1.4/5 vs Seattle 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Seattle and Vancouver?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Seattle is about $7,424 and Vancouver about $5,844 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.