Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbus, OH and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, OH: $2,476 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
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Columbus, OH Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,476

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,476 per month in Columbus, OH vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

Columbus, OH $2,476
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $3,676 per month in Columbus, OH vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

Columbus, OH $3,676
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $4,875 per month in Columbus, OH vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

Columbus, OH $4,875
Vancouver $5,072

Columbus, OH is about 8% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Columbus, OH and Vancouver sit above the global median – Columbus, OH by 85%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.76 $21.76

$17.30 CA$24.66

25.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$69.0 CA$98.3

10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$10.56 CA$15.05

11.46%

Cappuccino

$5.33 $5.33

$3.89 CA$5.54

37.02%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$2.05 CA$2.93

23.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.62 CA$2.31

23.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$5.54 CA$7.90

7.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$6.33 CA$9.02

11.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.31 CA$3.30

-59.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.50 CA$3.56

28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.44 CA$6.33

15.99%

Eggs

$3.76 $3.76

$4.07 CA$5.80

-7.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.96 $13.96

$11.28 CA$16.08

23.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$13.42 CA$19.13

11.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.63 $15.63

$20.10 CA$28.65

-22.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$4.06 CA$5.78

56.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.33 CA$1.90

23.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.91 CA$5.57

52.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.05 CA$5.78

18.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.72 CA$3.88

8.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.89 CA$4.12

19.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.53 CA$3.61

-14.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.62 CA$2.31

45.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$15.57 CA$22.19

-36.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.20 $16.20

$14.05 CA$20.03

15.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.69 CA$3.83

-21.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.99 CA$4.26

-0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.44 CA$3.48

-15.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.9 $62.9

$83.4 CA$119

-24.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.71 CA$3.87

9.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.57 CA$2.24

-17.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 $27.43

$31.39 CA$44.75

-12.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.38 CA$1.96

-27.54%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

29.75%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

27.40%

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

$224 $224

$81.2 CA$116

176.02%

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

$66.9 $66.9

$37.45 CA$53.4

78.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$51.4 CA$73.2

32.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.98 $34.98

$43.47 CA$62.0

-19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.10 $41.10

$12.53 CA$17.86

228.01%

Cinema Ticket

$13.24 $13.24

$12.54 CA$17.88

5.58%

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

$1,623 $1,623

$1,094 CA$1,560

48.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.7K $34.7K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

74.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.87 $48.87

$57.0 CA$81.3

-14.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.84 $41.84

$32.73 CA$46.66

27.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$92.6 CA$132

-13.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$94.2 CA$134

17.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 $1,529

$1,745 CA$2,488

-12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,114 $1,114

$1,484 CA$2,115

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$2,998 CA$4,273

-21.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 $1,832

$2,422 CA$3,453

-24.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,442 $3,442

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-56.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,809 $1,809

$6,457 CA$9,204

-71.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,772 $3,772

$3,799 CA$5,416

-0.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

4.28

55.14%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 33.3% $370

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, OH

$431 17.2%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 7.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, OH

$359 14.3%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 52.6% $189

Eating Out

Columbus, OH

$335 13.4%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 19% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, OH

$127 5.1%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 1.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Columbus, OH

$81 3.2%

Vancouver

$104 4% 28.7% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, OH

$61 2.5%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 11.5% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,529 in Columbus, OH versus $1,745 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 1% higher in Vancouver, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Columbus, OH versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $431 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:32 1:32 AM

22:32 10:32 PM

3 h behind Columbus, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Columbus, OH Vancouver 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, OH
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

Columbus, OH vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 8% more than Columbus, OH, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,715 per month in Columbus, OH and $4,026 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,476 in Columbus, OH and $2,684 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 8%.

Public transport costs about 33% less in Columbus, OH. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,476 in Columbus, OH and $2,684 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Columbus, OH costs $2,476 versus $2,684 in Vancouver. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Columbus, OH. 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.