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: $2,776 in Burnaby versus $2,831 in Vancouver.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,068 in Burnaby versus $4,231 in Vancouver.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,359 in Burnaby versus $5,630 in Vancouver.

Living in Burnaby costs roughly 2% less than in Vancouver, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Burnaby 107% above, Vancouver 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 CA$20.49

$18.26 CA$25.37

-19.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 CA$103

$77.8 CA$108

-5.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.95 CA$12.43

$10.85 CA$15.08

-17.51%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.82

$3.98 CA$5.53

5.28%

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

$1.81 CA$2.52

$2.12 CA$2.94

-14.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 CA$1.85

$1.78 CA$2.47

-25.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.21

$5.77 CA$8.02

2.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.73

$7.56 CA$10.50

-26.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 CA$3.55

$2.32 CA$3.23

9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 CA$3.85

$3.10 CA$4.30

-10.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 CA$6.23

$3.89 CA$5.40

15.17%

Eggs

$3.13 CA$4.34

$4.53 CA$6.29

-30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 CA$17.13

$12.92 CA$17.95

-4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 CA$16.65

$14.14 CA$19.65

-15.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 CA$30.06

$15.74 CA$21.87

37.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 CA$4.64

$4.26 CA$5.91

-21.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.47 CA$2.04

-12.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$4.02 CA$5.59

-25.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 CA$5.33

$5.06 CA$7.03

-24.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.02

$3.02 CA$4.20

-4.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.00 CA$4.17

$2.95 CA$4.10

1.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 CA$3.32

$2.60 CA$3.61

-8.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.63

$1.88 CA$2.61

0.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.84 CA$20.61

$15.20 CA$21.12

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.42

$14.30 CA$19.86

-7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 CA$3.35

$3.07 CA$4.27

-21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.51

$3.74 CA$5.20

-32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 CA$3.17

$2.44 CA$3.39

-6.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.2 CA$107

$84.9 CA$118

-9.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 CA$3.89

$3.74 CA$5.19

-25.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 CA$1.97

$1.50 CA$2.09

-5.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.32 CA$35.18

$27.43 CA$38.11

-7.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 CA$1.82

$1.34 CA$1.86

-2.24%

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

$25.3K CA$35.2K

$25.1K CA$34.9K

0.92%

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

$20.4K CA$28.4K

$20.7K CA$28.8K

-1.45%

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

$136 CA$188

$91.8 CA$128

47.73%

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

$42.55 CA$59.1

$39.42 CA$54.8

7.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$77.2

$61.1 CA$84.9

-8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.32 CA$43.52

$44.89 CA$62.4

-30.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.61 CA$7.80

$15.68 CA$21.79

-64.22%

Cinema Ticket

$16.29 CA$22.63

$12.37 CA$17.18

31.69%

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

$547 CA$760

$1,180 CA$1,640

-53.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,127 CA$11.3K

$18.8K CA$26.1K

-56.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 CA$76.0

$62.7 CA$87.1

-12.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.6 CA$74.5

$43.13 CA$59.9

24.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 CA$130

$94.7 CA$132

-1.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 CA$134

$118 CA$164

-18.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,909 CA$2,653

$1,995 CA$2,771

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,304

$1,629 CA$2,264

1.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,989 CA$5,543

$3,589 CA$4,986

11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,650 CA$3,682

$2,769 CA$3,848

-4.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,878 CA$9,556

$9,246 CA$12.8K

-25.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,525 CA$7,676

$7,086 CA$9,845

-22.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,275 CA$4,551

$3,474 CA$4,827

-5.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.61

16.58%

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

Last update for Burnaby: May 31, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,909 in Burnaby and $1,995 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 6% 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: $74.0 in Burnaby vs $78.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $415 per month, with Burnaby 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 2% in total monthly costs ($2,776 vs $2,831 including rent). Burnaby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Vancouver earns 6% 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 $1,995 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Burnaby versus $1,180 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Burnaby 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 Burnaby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.