Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, VA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,568 in Arlington, VA, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, VA
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Arlington, VA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Arlington, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,568

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,568 per month in Arlington, VA vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

Arlington, VA $3,568
Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $5,411 per month in Arlington, VA vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

Arlington, VA $5,411
Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $7,255 per month in Arlington, VA vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

Arlington, VA $7,255
Vancouver $5,056

Arlington, VA costs about 36% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Arlington, VA and Vancouver sit above the global median – Arlington, VA by 164%, Vancouver by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.97 $23.97

$17.19 CA$24.30

39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.0 $99.0

$69.1 CA$97.6

43.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 $10.85

$10.61 CA$15.00

2.26%

Cappuccino

$5.97 $5.97

$3.83 CA$5.42

55.87%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$2.04 CA$2.88

51.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.65 CA$2.34

46.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$5.54 CA$7.83

43.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.93 $8.93

$6.20 CA$8.77

44.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.14 CA$3.02

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.51 CA$3.54

73.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.49 CA$6.35

21.60%

Eggs

$5.24 $5.24

$4.09 CA$5.78

28.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$11.73 CA$16.58

83.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$13.11 CA$18.54

21.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.20 $23.20

$19.50 CA$27.57

18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$4.00 CA$5.65

42.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.38 CA$1.94

32.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$3.88 CA$5.48

19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.95 CA$5.58

48.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.72 CA$3.85

18.01%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.86 CA$4.05

31.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.46 CA$3.48

-5.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.56 CA$2.21

58.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.36 $10.36

$15.48 CA$21.88

-33.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.94 $16.94

$13.75 CA$19.44

23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.63 CA$3.72

9.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.89 CA$4.09

0.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.48 CA$3.51

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 $122

$83.0 CA$117

47.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.72 CA$3.85

50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.58 CA$2.24

-22.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.15 $25.15

$31.05 CA$43.89

-19.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.37 CA$1.94

-26.28%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

24.04%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

28.57%

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

$165 $165

$82.5 CA$117

100.19%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$37.26 CA$52.7

36.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$51.7 CA$73.1

17.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 $70.2

$42.87 CA$60.6

63.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.96 $18.96

$12.40 CA$17.53

52.90%

Cinema Ticket

$16.37 $16.37

$12.13 CA$17.15

34.95%

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

$1,612 $1,612

$1,102 CA$1,557

46.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K $35.9K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

81.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 $55.1

$56.4 CA$79.7

-2.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.6 $62.6

$33.43 CA$47.26

87.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$93.9 CA$133

9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 $161

$93.8 CA$133

72.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$1,775 CA$2,509

40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,987 $1,987

$1,497 CA$2,116

32.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,810 $4,810

$3,082 CA$4,357

56.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,596 $3,596

$2,416 CA$3,416

48.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,380 $6,380

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-20.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,983 $4,983

$6,449 CA$9,118

-22.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,625 $6,625

$3,776 CA$5,339

75.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.28

58.64%

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

Last update for Arlington, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, VA

$2K 55.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 24.7% $490

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, VA

$510 14.3%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 23.1% $118

Eating Out

Arlington, VA

$376 10.5%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 28.1% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, VA

$277 7.8%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 38% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, VA

$172 4.8%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 27.4% $47

Getting Around

Arlington, VA

$143 4%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 27.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, VA

$103 2.9%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 34.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,488 in Arlington, VA versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Arlington, VA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Arlington, VA versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $510 vs $392 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, VA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

18:05 6:05 PM

15:05 3:05 PM

3 h behind Arlington, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Arlington, VA Vancouver 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, VA
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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

Arlington, VA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arlington, VA costs about 36% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,352 per month in Arlington, VA and $3,939 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vancouver, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Arlington, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Arlington, VA and $69.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,568 in Arlington, VA and $2,626 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Vancouver – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Arlington, VA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.