Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between California, MD and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in California, MD and in Vancouver: $2,616 and $2,662 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,616 per month in California, MD vs $2,662 in Vancouver, rent included.

California, MD $2,616
Vancouver $2,662

A couple spends around $3,733 per month in California, MD vs $3,916 in Vancouver, rent included.

California, MD $3,733
Vancouver $3,916

A family of three spends $4,849 per month in California, MD vs $5,170 in Vancouver, rent included.

California, MD $4,849
Vancouver $5,170

California, MD is about 2% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both California, MD and Vancouver sit above the global median – California, MD by 93%, Vancouver by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 $24.81

$18.01 CA$25.46

37.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$71.0 CA$100

5.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$10.83 CA$15.31

-8.31%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$3.94 CA$5.56

51.78%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.13 CA$3.01

28.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.66 CA$2.34

46.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$5.73 CA$8.10

-10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$6.40 CA$9.04

21.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.15 CA$3.04

-53.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.55 CA$3.61

50.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.56 CA$6.45

-52.41%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.06 CA$5.74

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$12.14 CA$17.17

-2.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$13.23 CA$18.71

10.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$20.24 CA$28.62

-35.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.05 CA$5.73

7.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.42 CA$2.00

55.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.97 CA$5.62

10.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$3.91 CA$5.53

71.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.64 CA$3.74

65.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.82 CA$3.98

39.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.48 CA$3.51

-20.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.59 CA$2.24

26.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$15.30 CA$21.64

-41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 $14.05

$14.32 CA$20.24

-1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.57 CA$3.63

-34.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.91 CA$4.12

64.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.55 CA$3.60

-15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 $81.4

$84.6 CA$120

-3.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.64 CA$3.73

15.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.63 CA$2.31

-13.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 $22.46

$31.77 CA$44.91

-29.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.42 CA$2.01

-33.80%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

23.45%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

6.80%

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

$98.2 $98.2

$81.3 CA$115

20.75%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$37.20 CA$52.6

11.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$52.6 CA$74.4

17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$44.34 CA$62.7

-11.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$12.37 CA$17.49

-11.80%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$12.62 CA$17.85

44.14%

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

$1,875 $1,875

$1,093 CA$1,544

71.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

59.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$58.5 CA$82.7

-7.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.77 $47.77

$33.35 CA$47.14

43.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$96.3 CA$136

-11.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$95.6 CA$135

12.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,765 CA$2,495

-4.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,508 CA$2,132

-11.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$3,122 CA$4,414

-42.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$2,469 CA$3,490

-23.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,716 $6,716

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-17.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,236 $6,236

$6,354 CA$8,982

-1.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$3,592 CA$5,078

96.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

4.28

49.53%

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

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 12.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

California, MD

$406 15.5%

Vancouver

$399 15% 1.7% $6.9

Eating Out

California, MD

$362 13.8%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 22.5% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

California, MD

$202 7.7%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 15.1% $31

Clothing & Footwear

California, MD

$133 5.1%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 3.8% $5

Getting Around

California, MD

$100 3.8%

Vancouver

$106 4% 5.4% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

California, MD

$76 2.9%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 8.2% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,693 in California, MD versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 97% higher in California, MD, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in California, MD versus $71.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 California, MD

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

23:13 11:13 PM

20:13 8:13 PM

3 h behind California, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

California, MD Vancouver 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

California, MD
Vancouver

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

California, MD vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in California, MD and $3,992 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in California, MD, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Vancouver – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in California, MD and $71.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,616 in California, MD and $2,662 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward California, MD – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with California, MD. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.