Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Vancouver Cost of Living Comparison Between Burnaby and Vancouver

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,869 in Burnaby versus $2,783 in Vancouver.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,015 in Burnaby versus $4,030 in Vancouver.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,160 in Burnaby versus $5,278 in Vancouver.

Living in Burnaby is roughly 3% more expensive than in Vancouver, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 108% above, Vancouver 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.82 CA$30.27

$17.99 CA$24.95

21.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 CA$121

$72.9 CA$101

20.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.54 CA$13.24

$10.76 CA$14.92

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$4.81 CA$6.67

$4.17 CA$5.79

15.35%

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

$2.35 CA$3.27

$2.20 CA$3.05

6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 CA$2.50

$1.71 CA$2.37

5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 CA$9.98

$5.91 CA$8.19

21.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 CA$8.46

$6.66 CA$9.24

-8.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 CA$3.33

$2.19 CA$3.04

9.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 CA$4.05

$2.66 CA$3.69

9.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$4.43 CA$6.14

-18.74%

Eggs

$3.30 CA$4.58

$4.20 CA$5.83

-21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.34 CA$19.89

$11.88 CA$16.47

20.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.01 CA$19.43

$13.66 CA$18.95

2.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.31 CA$35.10

$20.32 CA$28.18

24.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.33

$4.24 CA$5.88

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 CA$1.81

$1.38 CA$1.92

-5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 CA$6.45

$4.05 CA$5.61

14.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 CA$6.36

$4.03 CA$5.58

13.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 CA$4.02

$2.87 CA$3.97

1.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 CA$4.99

$2.99 CA$4.15

20.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 CA$3.93

$2.64 CA$3.66

7.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.01

$1.65 CA$2.29

31.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.60 CA$20.25

$15.92 CA$22.07

-8.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 CA$19.11

$14.63 CA$20.29

-5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$2.78 CA$3.86

-24.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CA$3.30

$3.06 CA$4.25

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.42

$2.57 CA$3.56

-4.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.9 CA$112

$83.2 CA$115

-2.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 CA$4.13

$2.70 CA$3.74

10.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.63 CA$2.26

-9.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.88 CA$37.28

$32.68 CA$45.33

-17.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.44 CA$2.00

-7.64%

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

$28.3K CA$39.2K

$28.4K CA$39.4K

-0.53%

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

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$19.5K CA$27.1K

0.71%

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

$125 CA$173

$79.2 CA$110

57.36%

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

$44.12 CA$61.2

$36.21 CA$50.2

21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$75.0

$51.3 CA$71.2

5.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.15 CA$43.20

$43.58 CA$60.4

-28.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.89 CA$15.11

$13.16 CA$18.25

-17.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 CA$20.18

$11.85 CA$16.44

22.78%

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

$667 CA$925

$1,131 CA$1,568

-41.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K CA$27.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 CA$73.9

$60.0 CA$83.2

-11.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 CA$72.8

$34.84 CA$48.32

50.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 CA$146

$90.5 CA$125

16.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CA$111

$93.5 CA$130

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CA$2,344

$1,806 CA$2,505

-6.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,550 CA$2,149

$1,581 CA$2,193

-1.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,434

$3,182 CA$4,413

-22.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,189 CA$3,036

$2,465 CA$3,418

-11.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,866 CA$9,523

$8,841 CA$12.3K

-22.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,585 CA$7,746

$6,963 CA$9,657

-19.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,162 CA$4,386

$3,738 CA$5,184

-15.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.76

4.21

13.06%

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

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Burnaby and $1,806 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Burnaby vs $73.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $438 vs $408 per month, with Vancouver 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 Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burnaby and Vancouver differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,869 vs $2,783 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Vancouver. 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: $1,690 in Burnaby versus $1,806 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $667 in Burnaby versus $1,131 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.