Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brooklyn, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,437
/mo nomad
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,684
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,437 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $4,437
  • Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $6,601 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $6,601
  • Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $8,766 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $8,766
  • Vancouver $5,072

Brooklyn, NY costs about 65% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Vancouver sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 231%, Vancouver by 100%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.72 $19.72
$17.30 CA$24.66
13.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$106 $106
$69.0 CA$98.3
53.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.95 $11.95
$10.56 CA$15.05
13.16%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$3.89 CA$5.54
45.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.05 CA$2.93
23.90%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.62 CA$2.31
37.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.10 $8.10
$5.54 CA$7.90
46.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.81 $8.81
$6.33 CA$9.02
39.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 $1.68
$2.31 CA$3.30
-27.27%
White Bread (500g)
$4.70 $4.70
$2.50 CA$3.56
88.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.28 $7.28
$4.44 CA$6.33
63.96%
Eggs
$6.48 $6.48
$4.07 CA$5.80
59.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.24 $16.24
$11.28 CA$16.08
43.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.15 $17.15
$13.42 CA$19.13
27.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.76 $19.76
$20.10 CA$28.65
-1.69%
Apples (1kg)
$8.10 $8.10
$4.06 CA$5.78
99.51%
Banana (1kg)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.33 CA$1.90
185.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.37 $5.37
$3.91 CA$5.57
37.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.87 $5.87
$4.05 CA$5.78
44.94%
Potato (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$2.72 CA$3.88
47.43%
Onion (1kg)
$4.78 $4.78
$2.89 CA$4.12
65.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 $2.56
$2.53 CA$3.61
1.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.62 CA$2.31
52.47%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.90 $14.90
$15.57 CA$22.19
-4.30%
Wine (Bottle)
$20.71 $20.71
$14.05 CA$20.03
47.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.65 $2.65
$2.69 CA$3.83
-1.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 $3.38
$2.99 CA$4.26
13.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.06 $3.06
$2.44 CA$3.48
25.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$151 $151
$83.4 CA$119
81.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.71 CA$3.87
12.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.57 CA$2.24
40.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.16 $42.16
$31.39 CA$44.75
34.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 $1.15
$1.38 CA$1.96
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.0K $35.0K
$28.1K CA$40.0K
24.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$19.8K CA$28.2K
28.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 $244
$81.2 CA$116
200.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$61.5 $61.5
$37.45 CA$53.4
64.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$61.2 $61.2
$51.4 CA$73.2
19.05%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$107 $107
$43.47 CA$62.0
145.32%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.20 $35.20
$12.53 CA$17.86
180.93%
Cinema Ticket
$20.29 $20.29
$12.54 CA$17.88
61.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,646 $2,646
$1,094 CA$1,560
141.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$34.3K $34.3K
$19.9K CA$28.4K
72.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.0 $70.0
$57.0 CA$81.3
22.69%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$76.4 $76.4
$32.73 CA$46.66
133.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 $119
$92.6 CA$132
28.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$94.2 CA$134
29.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,711 $3,711
$1,745 CA$2,488
112.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,694 $2,694
$1,484 CA$2,115
81.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$7,368 $7,368
$2,998 CA$4,273
145.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,813 $4,813
$2,422 CA$3,453
98.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.4K $13.4K
$8,002 CA$11.4K
67.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,757 $7,757
$6,457 CA$9,204
20.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brooklyn, NY
Vancouver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,661 $3,661
$3,799 CA$5,416
-3.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
4.28
55.84%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: 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
Brooklyn, NY
$2.7K
Vancouver
$1.5K 44.9% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
$550
Vancouver
$399 27.5% $151
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
$367
Vancouver
$170 53.6% $197
Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
$339
Vancouver
$272 19.7% $67
Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
$177
Vancouver
$104 41.5% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
$175
Vancouver
$124 28.7% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
$147
Vancouver
$69 53.4% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,711 in Brooklyn, NY 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 4% higher in Vancouver, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $550 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🕒 Local time
04:17 4:17 AM
01:17 1:17 AM
3 h behind Brooklyn, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,736,074
631,486
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brooklyn, NY Vancouver 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brooklyn, NY
  • 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
Brooklyn, NY vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brooklyn, NY and in Vancouver compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY, $2,684 in Vancouver – roughly 65% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Brooklyn, NY compared to Vancouver?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,655 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $4,026 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brooklyn, NY and Vancouver?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $106 in Brooklyn, NY and $69.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brooklyn, NY or Vancouver?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $2,684 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 65%.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY and $2,684 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
How does quality of life compare between Brooklyn, NY and Vancouver?
It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,684 in Vancouver to $4,437 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Brooklyn, NY and Vancouver?
If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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