Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Dresden Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Dresden

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $1,960 in Dresden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $2,981 in Dresden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $4,001 in Dresden.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 42% more expensive than Dresden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Dresden 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$16.28 €14.02

-9.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$86.7 €74.7

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$11.39 €9.80

-21.42%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$4.29 €3.69

-2.33%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$3.79 €3.26

-52.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$3.37 €2.90

-60.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$5.87 €5.05

0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$5.16 €4.44

7.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$1.23 €1.06

107.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$2.26 €1.95

22.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$3.22 €2.78

39.13%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$3.75 €3.23

-16.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$15.15 €13.05

-18.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$13.49 €11.62

-11.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$20.14 €17.34

7.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$3.22 €2.77

3.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.84 €1.58

-30.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.20 €1.90

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$4.49 €3.87

-14.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$1.54 €1.33

87.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$1.61 €1.38

86.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$1.82 €1.57

31.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.05 €0.90

80.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$9.74 €8.39

52.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$5.90 €5.08

124.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$1.06 €0.92

127.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$1.60 €1.38

57.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$3.63 €3.13

-37.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$67.6 €58.2

14.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$4.62 €3.98

-39.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$2.47 €2.13

-42.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$34.49 €29.70

-26.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$2.03 €1.75

-35.47%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$30.8K €26.6K

-17.85%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$36.3K €31.2K

-43.64%

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

$136 CA$188

$332 €286

-59.20%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$31.89 €27.46

33.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$49.93 €42.99

11.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$34.43 €29.64

-9.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$15.10 €13.01

-62.85%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$12.90 €11.11

26.28%

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

$547 CA$760

$340 €292

61.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$14.6K €12.6K

-44.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$87.1 €75.0

-37.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$32.17 €27.70

66.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$124 €106

-24.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$117 €101

-17.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$873 €752

118.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$572 €493

189.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$1,748 €1,505

128.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$1,078 €928

145.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$5,214 €4,489

31.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$2,770 €2,385

99.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$3,371 €2,903

-2.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

3.98

64.32%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Dresden: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $873 in Dresden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dresden pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $87.0 in Dresden. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $343, with Dresden cheaper for home cooking.

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

Burnaby vs Dresden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Dresden differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $1,960 including rent). Dresden is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Dresden earns 3% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,909 in Burnaby versus $873 in Dresden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $340 in Dresden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,960 in Dresden versus $2,776 in Burnaby, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dresden but tight or insufficient in Burnaby. The gap between the two cities makes Dresden the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Burnaby and Dresden are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Dresden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.