Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge: $2,398 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge
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Cambridge Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Cambridge

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,398

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,398 in Cambridge versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Cambridge $2,398
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,402 in Cambridge versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Cambridge $3,402
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,406 in Cambridge versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Cambridge $4,406
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Cambridge costs roughly 9% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 78% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.45

$17.19 CA$24.30

0.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 CA$78.9

$69.1 CA$97.6

-19.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CA$14.07

$10.61 CA$15.00

-6.13%

Cappuccino

$3.51 CA$4.96

$3.83 CA$5.42

-8.36%

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

$1.98 CA$2.79

$2.04 CA$2.88

-2.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 CA$1.86

$1.65 CA$2.34

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 CA$7.22

$5.54 CA$7.83

-7.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.24 CA$8.82

$6.20 CA$8.77

0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 CA$2.91

$2.14 CA$3.02

-3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CA$3.36

$2.51 CA$3.54

-5.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.36

$4.49 CA$6.35

-31.18%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.53

$4.09 CA$5.78

-21.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 CA$15.33

$11.73 CA$16.58

-7.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.02

$13.11 CA$18.54

-13.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 CA$20.22

$19.50 CA$27.57

-26.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.00 CA$5.65

-1.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.38 CA$1.94

-14.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.66

$3.88 CA$5.48

3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$3.95 CA$5.58

-6.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 CA$3.69

$2.72 CA$3.85

-4.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.79

$2.86 CA$4.05

-30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.46 CA$3.48

-17.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.56 CA$2.21

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.82 CA$18.13

$15.48 CA$21.88

-17.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.20 CA$17.25

$13.75 CA$19.44

-11.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.63 CA$3.72

-2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 CA$5.44

$2.89 CA$4.09

33.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.44

$2.48 CA$3.51

-1.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.9 CA$90.3

$83.0 CA$117

-23.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 CA$3.42

$2.72 CA$3.85

-11.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.52

$1.58 CA$2.24

12.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.60 CA$31.95

$31.05 CA$43.89

-27.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.37 CA$1.94

-15.33%

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

$25.8K CA$36.5K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-6.55%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-5.67%

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

$149 CA$211

$82.5 CA$117

80.60%

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

$42.05 CA$59.5

$37.26 CA$52.7

12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.52 CA$70.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

-4.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.59 CA$40.42

$42.87 CA$60.6

-33.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.28 CA$14.53

$12.13 CA$17.15

-15.25%

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

$528 CA$746

$1,102 CA$1,557

-52.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.8K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-18.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$76.7

$56.4 CA$79.7

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.82 CA$42.16

$33.43 CA$47.26

-10.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 CA$105

$93.9 CA$133

-20.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$93.8 CA$133

10.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 CA$1,845

$1,775 CA$2,509

-26.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 CA$1,837

$1,497 CA$2,116

-13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 CA$3,547

$3,082 CA$4,357

-18.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,989 CA$2,812

$2,416 CA$3,416

-17.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,236 CA$5,989

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-47.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,850 CA$5,443

$6,449 CA$9,118

-40.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,938 CA$4,153

$3,776 CA$5,339

-22.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.28

18.93%

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

Last update for Cambridge: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge

$1.3K 54.2%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 15.2% $197

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge

$345 14.4%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 13.9% $48

Eating Out

Cambridge

$262 10.9%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 3.3% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge

$241 10%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 28.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge

$118 4.9%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 6.1% $7.2

Getting Around

Cambridge

$85 3.5%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 21.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge

$49 2.1%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 36.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,305 in Cambridge and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 29% 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: $56.0 in Cambridge vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $392 per month, with Cambridge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Cambridge

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

17:25 5:25 PM

14:25 2:25 PM

3 h behind Cambridge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,479

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cambridge Vancouver 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge
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

Cambridge vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $1,305 in Cambridge versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,398 in Cambridge versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge 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.

Expats usually find Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.