Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethesda, MD and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,165 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

154

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,165

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,165 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $3,165
Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $4,971 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $4,971
Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $6,778 per month in Bethesda, MD vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

Bethesda, MD $6,778
Vancouver $5,056

Bethesda, MD costs about 20% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bethesda, MD and Vancouver sit above the global median – Bethesda, MD by 134%, Vancouver by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.08 $22.08

$17.19 CA$24.30

28.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$69.1 CA$97.6

43.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$10.61 CA$15.00

2.83%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.83 CA$5.42

40.47%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.04 CA$2.88

49.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.65 CA$2.34

50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.08 $7.08

$5.54 CA$7.83

27.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.12 $9.12

$6.20 CA$8.77

47.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$2.14 CA$3.02

-45.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.51 CA$3.54

64.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.49 CA$6.35

-13.14%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.09 CA$5.78

14.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$11.73 CA$16.58

41.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.51 $15.51

$13.11 CA$18.54

18.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.46 $22.46

$19.50 CA$27.57

15.18%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.00 CA$5.65

36.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.38 CA$1.94

-1.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.88 CA$5.48

4.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.95 CA$5.58

7.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.72 CA$3.85

-18.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.86 CA$4.05

-7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.46 CA$3.48

-2.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.56 CA$2.21

62.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.53 $10.53

$15.48 CA$21.88

-31.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.01 $18.01

$13.75 CA$19.44

30.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.63 CA$3.72

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.89 CA$4.09

-2.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.48 CA$3.51

23.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$83.0 CA$117

22.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.72 CA$3.85

51.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.58 CA$2.24

-23.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$31.05 CA$43.89

-20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.37 CA$1.94

-32.12%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-16.40%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

23.30%

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

$163 $163

$82.5 CA$117

97.82%

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

$39.56 $39.56

$37.26 CA$52.7

6.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$51.7 CA$73.1

21.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$104 $104

$42.87 CA$60.6

143.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.41 $30.41

$12.40 CA$17.53

145.24%

Cinema Ticket

$16.16 $16.16

$12.13 CA$17.15

33.22%

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

$1,606 $1,606

$1,102 CA$1,557

45.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

80.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 $54.8

$56.4 CA$79.7

-2.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$33.43 CA$47.26

71.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$93.9 CA$133

8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$93.8 CA$133

58.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,340 $2,340

$1,775 CA$2,509

31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 $1,669

$1,497 CA$2,116

11.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,118 $4,118

$3,082 CA$4,357

33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,299 $3,299

$2,416 CA$3,416

36.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,862 $5,862

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-27.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 $5,456

$6,449 CA$9,118

-15.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,749 $8,749

$3,776 CA$5,339

131.68%

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 Bethesda, MD: 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

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 10.3% $172

Groceries & Markets

Bethesda, MD

$457 14.4%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 14.1% $65

Eating Out

Bethesda, MD

$350 11.1%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 22.7% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethesda, MD

$265 8.4%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 35.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Bethesda, MD

$163 5.2%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 23.5% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Bethesda, MD

$137 4.3%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 50.9% $70

Getting Around

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 16.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,340 in Bethesda, MD 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 132% higher in Bethesda, MD, 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 Bethesda, MD versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $457 vs $392 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

16:08 4:08 PM

3 h behind Bethesda, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,858

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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Between locations

Bethesda, MD Vancouver 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethesda, MD
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

Bethesda, MD vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 20%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,747 per month in Bethesda, MD 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.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,165 in Bethesda, MD and $2,626 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 20%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,165 in Bethesda, MD 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, Bethesda, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.