Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Burnaby and in Vancouver: $2,678 and $2,725 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,678 in Burnaby versus $2,725 in Vancouver.

Burnaby $2,678
Vancouver $2,725

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,827 in Burnaby versus $4,039 in Vancouver.

Burnaby $3,827
Vancouver $4,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,976 in Burnaby versus $5,352 in Vancouver.

Burnaby $4,976
Vancouver $5,352

Monthly costs are close between Burnaby and Vancouver; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 97% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.23 CA$29.79

$17.65 CA$24.77

20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 CA$121

$72.4 CA$102

19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.53 CA$13.37

$10.84 CA$15.21

-12.08%

Cappuccino

$4.67 CA$6.56

$3.91 CA$5.49

19.44%

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

$2.45 CA$3.44

$2.10 CA$2.95

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.52

$1.64 CA$2.30

9.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.57 CA$12.03

$5.74 CA$8.06

49.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 CA$8.67

$6.36 CA$8.93

-2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.21 CA$3.10

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 CA$3.88

$2.64 CA$3.71

4.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.95

$4.68 CA$6.56

-24.79%

Eggs

$3.17 CA$4.45

$4.24 CA$5.95

-25.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.05 CA$19.72

$11.92 CA$16.73

17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 CA$19.75

$13.12 CA$18.42

7.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.52

$20.40 CA$28.63

24.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.42 CA$6.20

$4.10 CA$5.76

7.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.80

$1.38 CA$1.93

-7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.47

$3.83 CA$5.37

20.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 CA$6.48

$3.92 CA$5.50

17.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$2.77 CA$3.89

1.44%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 CA$4.96

$2.84 CA$3.98

24.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.84

$2.60 CA$3.65

5.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.59 CA$2.24

32.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 CA$19.96

$15.87 CA$22.27

-10.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.39 CA$18.79

$14.00 CA$19.64

-4.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 CA$2.88

$2.57 CA$3.61

-20.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CA$3.27

$3.01 CA$4.23

-22.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.54 CA$3.56

$2.55 CA$3.59

-0.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.6 CA$115

$84.1 CA$118

-3.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.88 CA$4.04

$2.67 CA$3.74

7.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$1.58 CA$2.22

-4.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.45 CA$37.12

$32.19 CA$45.17

-17.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.92

$1.45 CA$2.04

-5.52%

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

$28.5K CA$40.1K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

3.85%

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

$20.9K CA$29.4K

$21.3K CA$29.9K

-1.78%

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

$126 CA$177

$82.5 CA$116

53.10%

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

$44.96 CA$63.1

$37.46 CA$52.6

20.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 CA$74.0

$51.7 CA$72.5

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.23 CA$43.83

$40.52 CA$56.9

-22.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 CA$14.77

$12.69 CA$17.81

-17.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 CA$19.97

$12.66 CA$17.77

12.40%

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

$649 CA$910

$1,080 CA$1,515

-39.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.3

$58.5 CA$82.0

-10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 CA$72.1

$34.10 CA$47.85

50.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$96.9 CA$136

6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.0 CA$111

$97.4 CA$137

-18.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 CA$2,376

$1,813 CA$2,545

-6.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 CA$1,973

$1,576 CA$2,211

-10.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,623 CA$3,681

$3,217 CA$4,514

-18.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 CA$2,786

$2,651 CA$3,721

-25.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,886 CA$9,663

$8,590 CA$12.1K

-19.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,338 CA$7,491

$6,649 CA$9,331

-19.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,149 CA$4,419

$3,733 CA$5,239

-15.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.28

11.21%

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

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 12.1% $170

Groceries & Markets

Burnaby

$431 16.1%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 7% $30

Eating Out

Burnaby

$327 12.2%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 15.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burnaby

$224 8.4%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 23.4% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Burnaby

$129 4.8%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Burnaby

$102 3.8%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 2.7% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Burnaby

$60 2.2%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 10.3% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in Burnaby and $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $87 in Burnaby vs $72 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $401 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

12:58 12:58 PM

Same time as Burnaby

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

249,125

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Burnaby vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Burnaby. 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: $1,693 in Burnaby versus $1,813 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burnaby runs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Vancouver pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Burnaby gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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

It comes down to priorities – Burnaby wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.