Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, VT and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,063 in Burlington, VT, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, VT
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Burlington, VT Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Burlington, VT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,063

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,063 in Burlington, VT versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Burlington, VT $3,063
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,818 in Burlington, VT versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Burlington, VT $4,818
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,572 in Burlington, VT versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Burlington, VT $6,572
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Burlington, VT is roughly 17% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burlington, VT 127% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.24 $22.24

$17.19 CA$24.30

29.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$69.1 CA$97.6

14.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$10.61 CA$15.00

12.06%

Cappuccino

$5.21 $5.21

$3.83 CA$5.42

36.03%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.04 CA$2.88

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.65 CA$2.34

41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$5.54 CA$7.83

40.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.46 $8.46

$6.20 CA$8.77

36.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$2.14 CA$3.02

-43.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.62 $4.62

$2.51 CA$3.54

84.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$4.49 CA$6.35

17.37%

Eggs

$4.50 $4.50

$4.09 CA$5.78

10.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$11.73 CA$16.58

19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$13.11 CA$18.54

-6.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$19.50 CA$27.57

-32.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.00 CA$5.65

8.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.38 CA$1.94

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.88 CA$5.48

-42.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.44 $6.44

$3.95 CA$5.58

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.72 CA$3.85

63.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.86 CA$4.05

44.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.46 CA$3.48

23.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.56 CA$2.21

-37.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$15.48 CA$21.88

-22.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 $12.60

$13.75 CA$19.44

-8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.63 CA$3.72

-34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.89 CA$4.09

-32.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.48 CA$3.51

-0.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.11 $49.11

$83.0 CA$117

-40.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.72 CA$3.85

-5.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.58 CA$2.24

12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 $27.71

$31.05 CA$43.89

-10.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.37 CA$1.94

-18.98%

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

$35.6K $35.6K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

28.63%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

34.34%

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

$192 $192

$82.5 CA$117

133.29%

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

$55.7 $55.7

$37.26 CA$52.7

49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.2 $63.2

$51.7 CA$73.1

22.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.2 $70.2

$42.87 CA$60.6

63.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.88 $27.88

$12.40 CA$17.53

124.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$12.13 CA$17.15

-2.80%

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

$1,250 $1,250

$1,102 CA$1,557

13.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-39.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$56.4 CA$79.7

-6.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.60 $29.60

$33.43 CA$47.26

-11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.4 $54.4

$93.9 CA$133

-42.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 $89.9

$93.8 CA$133

-4.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,954 $1,954

$1,775 CA$2,509

10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$1,497 CA$2,116

15.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,414 $4,414

$3,082 CA$4,357

43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,591 $3,591

$2,416 CA$3,416

48.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,931 $3,931

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-51.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,321 $3,321

$6,449 CA$9,118

-48.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,573 $4,573

$3,776 CA$5,339

21.09%

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 Burlington, VT: 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

Burlington, VT

$1.7K 56.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 13.8% $239

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, VT

$397 13%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 1.1% $4.4

Eating Out

Burlington, VT

$353 11.5%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 23.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, VT

$311 10.2%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 44.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, VT

$102 3.3%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 22.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, VT

$94 3.1%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 28.4% $27

Getting Around

Burlington, VT

$70 2.3%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 46.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,954 in Burlington, VT and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, VT pays 21% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Burlington, VT vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, VT

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

09:01 9:01 AM

3 h behind Burlington, VT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Burlington, VT Vancouver 3,760 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, VT
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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

Burlington, VT vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Burlington, VT, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,954 in Burlington, VT versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vancouver runs roughly 69% less than in Burlington, VT. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,250 in Burlington, VT versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Vancouver is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Burlington, VT, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Burlington, VT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.