Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston, MA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $4,347 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

213

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
Learn more

Boston, MA Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,347

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,347 per month in Boston, MA vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

Boston, MA $4,347
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $6,138 per month in Boston, MA vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

Boston, MA $6,138
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $7,930 per month in Boston, MA vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

Boston, MA $7,930
Vancouver $5,072

Boston, MA costs about 62% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Boston, MA and Vancouver sit above the global median – Boston, MA by 224%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.79 $29.79

$17.30 CA$24.61

72.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$69.0 CA$98.1

77.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$10.56 CA$15.02

12.78%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.89 CA$5.53

37.79%

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

$3.17 $3.17

$2.05 CA$2.92

54.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.62 CA$2.31

40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$5.54 CA$7.89

45.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.20 $9.20

$6.33 CA$9.00

45.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.31 CA$3.29

-45.02%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.50 CA$3.56

78.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$4.44 CA$6.32

55.86%

Eggs

$5.99 $5.99

$4.07 CA$5.79

47.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.85 $15.85

$11.28 CA$16.04

40.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.04 $15.04

$13.42 CA$19.09

12.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.14 $19.14

$20.10 CA$28.59

-4.78%

Apples (1kg)

$7.57 $7.57

$4.06 CA$5.77

86.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.33 CA$1.89

54.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$3.91 CA$5.56

37.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$4.05 CA$5.77

82.47%

Potato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.72 CA$3.87

59.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.89 CA$4.11

42.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.53 CA$3.60

14.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.62 CA$2.30

85.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 $12.33

$15.57 CA$22.15

-20.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.83 $15.83

$14.05 CA$19.99

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.69 CA$3.82

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.38 $5.38

$2.99 CA$4.26

79.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.44 CA$3.47

-4.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.8 $88.8

$83.4 CA$119

6.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.71 CA$3.86

-1.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.57 CA$2.23

13.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.83 $27.83

$31.39 CA$44.65

-11.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.38 CA$1.96

-20.29%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

30.96%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

32.52%

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

$246 $246

$81.2 CA$115

202.69%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$37.45 CA$53.3

44.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.1 $85.1

$51.4 CA$73.1

65.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.3 $85.3

$43.47 CA$61.8

96.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.31 $41.31

$12.53 CA$17.82

229.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.84 $15.84

$12.54 CA$17.84

26.32%

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

$2,888 $2,888

$1,094 CA$1,557

163.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.4K $35.4K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

77.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 $77.7

$57.0 CA$81.1

36.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$32.73 CA$46.56

58.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 $118

$92.6 CA$132

26.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 $165

$94.2 CA$134

75.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,396 $3,396

$1,745 CA$2,483

94.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,658 $2,658

$1,484 CA$2,111

79.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,022 $6,022

$2,998 CA$4,264

100.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,980 $3,980

$2,422 CA$3,446

64.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K $13.2K

$8,002 CA$11.4K

64.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,302 $6,302

$6,457 CA$9,184

-2.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,977 $5,977

$3,799 CA$5,404

57.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

4.28

55.61%

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

Last update for Boston, MA: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boston, MA

$2.7K 60.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 44.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Boston, MA

$524 11.9%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 24% $126

Eating Out

Boston, MA

$419 9.5%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 35.1% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boston, MA

$385 8.8%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 55.8% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Boston, MA

$186 4.2%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 33% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Boston, MA

$117 2.7%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 41.4% $48

Getting Around

Boston, MA

$110 2.5%

Vancouver

$104 4% 5.5% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,396 in Boston, MA versus $1,745 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 57% higher in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $524 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

22:53 10:53 PM

19:53 7:53 PM

3 h behind Boston, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,647

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boston, MA Vancouver 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Boston, MA
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

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

Boston, MA costs about 62% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,520 per month in Boston, MA and $4,026 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 32% more in Boston, MA, 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 $122 in Boston, MA 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 $4,347 in Boston, MA and $2,684 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vancouver costs $2,684 versus $4,347 in Boston, MA. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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