Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Athens, GA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Athens, GA: $2,200 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Athens, GA
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Athens, GA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Athens, GA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,200

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,200 per month in Athens, GA vs $2,662 in Vancouver, rent included.

Athens, GA $2,200
Vancouver $2,662

A couple spends around $3,313 per month in Athens, GA vs $3,916 in Vancouver, rent included.

Athens, GA $3,313
Vancouver $3,916

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Athens, GA vs $5,170 in Vancouver, rent included.

Athens, GA $4,426
Vancouver $5,170

Athens, GA is about 17% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Athens, GA and Vancouver sit above the global median – Athens, GA by 62%, Vancouver by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.19 $13.19

$18.01 CA$25.46

-26.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 $63.7

$71.0 CA$100

-10.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.36 $10.36

$10.83 CA$15.31

-4.34%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$3.94 CA$5.56

44.67%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.13 CA$3.01

37.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.66 CA$2.34

33.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.52 $7.52

$5.73 CA$8.10

31.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.79 $7.79

$6.40 CA$9.04

21.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.15 CA$3.04

-61.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.55 CA$3.61

14.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.57 $6.57

$4.56 CA$6.45

44.08%

Eggs

$3.27 $3.27

$4.06 CA$5.74

-19.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$12.14 CA$17.17

-27.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$13.23 CA$18.71

-20.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$20.24 CA$28.62

-27.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.05 CA$5.73

47.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.42 CA$2.00

-4.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$3.97 CA$5.62

56.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.91 CA$5.53

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$2.64 CA$3.74

59.47%

Onion (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.82 CA$3.98

47.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.48 CA$3.51

5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.59 CA$2.24

24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.03 $9.03

$15.30 CA$21.64

-40.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.65 $18.65

$14.32 CA$20.24

30.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.57 CA$3.63

-30.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$2.91 CA$4.12

103.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.58 $15.58

$84.6 CA$120

-81.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.42 CA$2.01

-29.58%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

4.63%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

24.74%

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

$285 $285

$81.3 CA$115

249.79%

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

$41.91 $41.91

$37.20 CA$52.6

12.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.7 $79.7

$52.6 CA$74.4

51.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.05 $25.05

$44.34 CA$62.7

-43.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.80 $7.80

$12.37 CA$17.49

-36.94%

Cinema Ticket

$12.95 $12.95

$12.62 CA$17.85

2.61%

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

$872 $872

$1,093 CA$1,544

-20.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,396 $9,396

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-52.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$58.5 CA$82.7

-6.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 $31.97

$33.35 CA$47.14

-4.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.6 $64.6

$96.3 CA$136

-32.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.5 $54.5

$95.6 CA$135

-43.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$1,765 CA$2,495

-24.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$957 $957

$1,508 CA$2,132

-36.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,322 $2,322

$3,122 CA$4,414

-25.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,469 CA$3,490

-24.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,420 $2,420

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-70.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,230 $2,230

$6,354 CA$8,982

-64.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 $3,487

$3,592 CA$5,078

-2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

4.28

57.01%

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

Last update for Athens, GA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Athens, GA

$957 43.5%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 57.7% $552

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Athens, GA

$406 18.5%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 57.9% $235

Groceries & Markets

Athens, GA

$399 18.2%

Vancouver

$399 15% 0.1% $0.6

Eating Out

Athens, GA

$279 12.7%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 0.6% $1.7

Clothing & Footwear

Athens, GA

$93 4.2%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 37.8% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Athens, GA

$51 2.3%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 36.6% $19

Getting Around

Athens, GA

$16 * 0.7%

Vancouver

$106 4% 578% $90

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,340 in Athens, GA versus $1,765 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 3% higher in Vancouver, 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 $64.0 in Athens, GA versus $71.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $399 – making Athens, GA the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Athens, GA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

10:46 10:46 AM

07:46 7:46 AM

3 h behind Athens, GA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,452

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Athens, GA Vancouver 3,660 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Athens, GA
Vancouver

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

Athens, GA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,300 per month in Athens, GA and $3,992 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 0% cheaper in Vancouver – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64.0 in Athens, GA and $71.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Athens, GA, where all-in costs run around $2,200, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Athens, GA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Athens, GA – 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 Athens, GA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.