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: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $1,932 in Dresden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $3,021 in Dresden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $4,109 in Dresden.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 48% more expensive than in Dresden, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Dresden 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$17.35 €14.95

25.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$87.2 €75.1

0.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$11.77 €10.15

-18.95%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$4.67 €4.03

3.00%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$3.99 €3.44

-41.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$3.24 €2.80

-44.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$6.20 €5.34

15.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$6.81 €5.87

-10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$1.46 €1.26

64.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.10 €1.81

39.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$3.21 €2.77

12.15%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$3.89 €3.35

-15.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$16.94 €14.60

-15.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$11.48 €9.90

22.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$22.82 €19.67

10.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$3.34 €2.88

36.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$2.11 €1.82

-38.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$2.12 €1.83

119.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$4.12 €3.55

11.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$1.47 €1.27

97.28%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$1.49 €1.28

141.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$1.51 €1.30

87.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.11 €0.96

95.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$10.28 €8.86

42.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$5.87 €5.06

134.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.11 €0.95

89.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$1.49 €1.29

59.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$3.93 €3.39

-37.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$74.2 €63.9

9.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$4.60 €3.97

-35.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$2.85 €2.45

-48.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$35.34 €30.47

-23.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$2.16 €1.86

-38.43%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$34.4K €29.6K

-17.77%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$40.1K €34.6K

-50.90%

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

$125 CA$173

$384 €331

-67.57%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$20.55 €17.72

114.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$45.03 €38.81

20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$36.07 €31.09

-13.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$25.88 €22.31

-57.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$14.14 €12.19

2.90%

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

$667 CA$925

$942 €812

-29.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$90.5 €78.0

-41.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$43.32 €37.35

21.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$111 €95.5

-4.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$131 €113

-39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$787 €678

114.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$520 €449

197.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$1,633 €1,407

51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$1,013 €873

116.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$5,197 €4,480

32.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$2,728 €2,351

104.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,120 €2,690

1.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

3.96

20.20%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Dresden: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $787 in Dresden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burnaby pays 1% 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: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $87.0 in Dresden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $346 per month, with Dresden cheaper across the board.

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 48% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $1,932 including rent). Dresden is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1% higher in Burnaby, 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $787 in Dresden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $942 in Dresden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,932 in Dresden versus $2,869 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 48% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.