Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amherst, MA and Victoria, Canada

Name: Victoria
Address: Victoria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $2,554 a month against $2,767 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
Learn more

Amherst, MA Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
Learn more

Victoria Living Index

Jump to prices

Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,767

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Victoria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,767 in Amherst, MA versus $2,554 in Victoria.

Amherst, MA $2,767
Victoria $2,554

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,275 in Amherst, MA versus $3,830 in Victoria.

Amherst, MA $4,275
Victoria $3,830

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,783 in Amherst, MA versus $5,107 in Victoria.

Amherst, MA $5,783
Victoria $5,107

Living in Amherst, MA is roughly 8% more expensive than in Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Amherst, MA 103% above, Victoria 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 $20.05

$19.57 CA$27.34

2.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.8 $70.8

$70.3 CA$98.2

0.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 $8.90

$10.92 CA$15.26

-18.50%

Cappuccino

$4.79 $4.79

$4.27 CA$5.97

12.18%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.34 CA$3.27

14.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.88 CA$2.63

9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.57 CA$7.78

7.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.41 $10.41

$6.63 CA$9.27

57.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.79 CA$3.91

-62.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.08 CA$4.30

4.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$4.06 CA$5.67

72.41%

Eggs

$4.69 $4.69

$4.25 CA$5.93

10.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$27.60 CA$38.56

-40.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.78 $15.78

$12.88 CA$17.99

22.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.29 $18.29

$14.43 CA$20.17

26.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.09 CA$5.72

14.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.47 CA$2.05

-1.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.90 CA$5.45

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.16 CA$5.81

10.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.54 CA$4.95

-7.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.88 CA$4.02

28.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 $2.30

$3.24 CA$4.53

-29.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.51 CA$3.50

-19.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.69 $10.69

$15.04 CA$21.01

-28.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.14 $12.14

$17.77 CA$24.83

-31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$3.85 CA$5.38

-48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.62 CA$5.06

8.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.10 CA$2.94

-38.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.34 $28.34

$60.0 CA$83.9

-52.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.78 CA$3.89

28.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.59 CA$2.22

-10.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.78 $29.78

$34.64 CA$48.41

-14.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.39 CA$1.94

-28.78%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-3.72%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$21.2K CA$29.7K

24.19%

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

$213 $213

$104 CA$145

104.57%

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

$56.5 $56.5

$44.11 CA$61.6

28.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.9 $87.9

$62.1 CA$86.8

41.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$121 $121

$41.39 CA$57.8

193.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 $6.90

$17.05 CA$23.83

-59.53%

Cinema Ticket

$10.65 $10.65

$10.58 CA$14.78

0.66%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$890 CA$1,243

64.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.2K $17.2K

$23.1K CA$32.3K

-25.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.22 $45.22

$55.4 CA$77.4

-18.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$43.45 CA$60.7

-7.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 $91.6

$91.9 CA$128

-0.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$107 CA$149

2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 $1,821

$1,557 CA$2,176

16.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 $1,346

$1,300 CA$1,817

3.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,829 $3,829

$2,730 CA$3,814

40.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$2,233 CA$3,121

21.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,969 $3,969

$5,638 CA$7,877

-29.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,035 $4,035

$4,578 CA$6,397

-11.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,660 $4,660

$3,229 CA$4,512

44.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

4.31

41.53%

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

Last update for Amherst, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Amherst, MA

$1.3K 48.7%

Victoria

$1.3K 50.9% 3.4% $46

Groceries & Markets

Amherst, MA

$434 15.7%

Victoria

$470 18.4% 8.3% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amherst, MA

$357 12.9%

Victoria

$210 8.2% 41.1% $147

Eating Out

Amherst, MA

$314 11.4%

Victoria

$299 11.7% 5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Amherst, MA

$143 5.2%

Victoria

$63 2.5% 56.1% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Amherst, MA

$129 4.7%

Victoria

$134 5.2% 3.8% $5

Getting Around

Amherst, MA

$44 1.6%

Victoria

$79 3.1% 79.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,821 in Amherst, MA and $1,557 in Victoria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Amherst, MA vs $70 in Victoria. Groceries flip the comparison at $434 vs $470, with Amherst, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🇨🇦 Victoria

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

2 h behind Amherst, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,819

85,792

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 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 November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amherst, MA Victoria 3,950 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Amherst, MA
Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Victoria is about 8% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 44% 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: $1,821 in Amherst, MA versus $1,557 in Victoria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Amherst, MA pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,767 per month in Amherst, MA versus $2,554 in Victoria – Victoria is about 8% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Victoria wins on affordability, Amherst, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.