Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,759 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. The total is higher in Amherst, MA despite lower rent and utilities.

134

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
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Amherst, MA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,759

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Amherst, MA and in Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,759 in Amherst, MA versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Amherst, MA $2,759
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,250 in Amherst, MA versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Amherst, MA $4,250
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Amherst, MA versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Amherst, MA $5,742
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 5% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 104% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.37 $20.37

$17.19 CA$24.30

18.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.3 $69.3

$69.1 CA$97.6

0.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 $9.18

$10.61 CA$15.00

-13.48%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.83 CA$5.42

26.89%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.04 CA$2.88

28.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 CA$2.34

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$5.54 CA$7.83

6.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.63 $10.63

$6.20 CA$8.77

71.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.14 CA$3.02

-50.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.51 CA$3.54

26.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$4.49 CA$6.35

58.57%

Eggs

$4.68 $4.68

$4.09 CA$5.78

14.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.30 $16.30

$11.73 CA$16.58

38.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.68 $15.68

$13.11 CA$18.54

19.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.11 $18.11

$19.50 CA$27.57

-7.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.00 CA$5.65

20.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.38 CA$1.94

-0.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.88 CA$5.48

-16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.95 CA$5.58

22.03%

Potato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.72 CA$3.85

19.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.86 CA$4.05

24.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.46 CA$3.48

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.56 CA$2.21

30.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.38 $10.38

$15.48 CA$21.88

-32.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.16 $12.16

$13.75 CA$19.44

-11.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.63 CA$3.72

-22.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.89 CA$4.09

36.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.48 CA$3.51

-47.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.49 $27.49

$83.0 CA$117

-66.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.72 CA$3.85

27.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.58 CA$2.24

-13.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.92 $29.92

$31.05 CA$43.89

-3.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.37 CA$1.94

-32.85%

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

$36.5K $36.5K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

32.08%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

28.14%

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

$207 $207

$82.5 CA$117

151.54%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$37.26 CA$52.7

52.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$51.7 CA$73.1

74.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$42.87 CA$60.6

179.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 $7.15

$12.40 CA$17.53

-42.34%

Cinema Ticket

$10.64 $10.64

$12.13 CA$17.15

-12.28%

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

$1,513 $1,513

$1,102 CA$1,557

37.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-15.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.36 $44.36

$56.4 CA$79.7

-21.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.35 $40.35

$33.43 CA$47.26

20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 $89.7

$93.9 CA$133

-4.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$93.8 CA$133

13.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,775 CA$2,509

2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$1,497 CA$2,116

-10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$3,082 CA$4,357

28.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$2,416 CA$3,416

10.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,010 $4,010

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-50.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,000 $4,000

$6,449 CA$9,118

-37.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,769 $4,769

$3,776 CA$5,339

26.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.28

42.52%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 11.5% $154

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$433 15.7%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 9.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$355 12.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 51.7% $183

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$318 11.5%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 15% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$141 5.1%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 52.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 1.3% $1.7

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 141% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,826 in Amherst, MA and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 26% 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: $69.0 in Amherst, MA vs $69.0 in Vancouver. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $392, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

06:23 6:23 AM

03:23 3:23 AM

3 h behind Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Amherst, MA Vancouver 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
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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

Amherst, MA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% higher in Amherst, MA, 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: $1,826 in Amherst, MA versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,513 in Amherst, MA versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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.

Safety-wise, Amherst, MA and Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Amherst, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.