Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Durham, NC and in Vancouver: $2,554 and $2,626 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,554

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Durham, NC versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Durham, NC $2,554
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,914 in Durham, NC versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Durham, NC $3,914
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,274 in Durham, NC versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Durham, NC $5,274
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Durham, NC costs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 89% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.60 $15.60

$17.19 CA$24.30

-9.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$103 $103

$69.1 CA$97.6

49.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.61 CA$15.00

-5.18%

Cappuccino

$4.61 $4.61

$3.83 CA$5.42

20.37%

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

$3.15 $3.15

$2.04 CA$2.88

54.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.65 CA$2.34

24.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.54 CA$7.83

5.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$6.20 CA$8.77

12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.14 CA$3.02

-44.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.51 CA$3.54

97.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$4.49 CA$6.35

-0.89%

Eggs

$3.48 $3.48

$4.09 CA$5.78

-14.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.27 $19.27

$11.73 CA$16.58

64.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$13.11 CA$18.54

27.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.16 $17.16

$19.50 CA$27.57

-12.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.73 $5.73

$4.00 CA$5.65

43.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.38 CA$1.94

34.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$3.88 CA$5.48

-3.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$3.95 CA$5.58

16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.72 CA$3.85

-15.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.86 CA$4.05

36.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.46 CA$3.48

10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.56 CA$2.21

26.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.98 $7.98

$15.48 CA$21.88

-48.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.09 $15.09

$13.75 CA$19.44

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.63 CA$3.72

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 $4.00

$2.89 CA$4.09

38.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.48 CA$3.51

-38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.28 $25.28

$83.0 CA$117

-69.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.72 CA$3.85

-27.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.58 CA$2.24

-62.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$1.37 CA$1.94

-29.93%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

26.73%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

26.13%

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

$224 $224

$82.5 CA$117

171.52%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$37.26 CA$52.7

50.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.9 $70.9

$51.7 CA$73.1

37.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.70 $49.70

$42.87 CA$60.6

15.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.19 $13.19

$12.13 CA$17.15

8.74%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$1,102 CA$1,557

39.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.17 $44.17

$56.4 CA$79.7

-21.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.03 $34.03

$33.43 CA$47.26

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$93.9 CA$133

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$93.8 CA$133

43.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 $1,710

$1,775 CA$2,509

-3.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 $1,220

$1,497 CA$2,116

-18.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$3,082 CA$4,357

-17.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$2,416 CA$3,416

-8.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,757 $2,757

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-65.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,680 $2,680

$6,449 CA$9,118

-58.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,585 $4,585

$3,776 CA$5,339

21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.28

59.11%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: 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

Durham, NC

$1.2K 47.8%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 22.6% $276

Groceries & Markets

Durham, NC

$459 18%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 14.5% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham, NC

$351 13.7%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 51.1% $180

Eating Out

Durham, NC

$274 10.7%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 1.5% $4.2

Clothing & Footwear

Durham, NC

$137 5.4%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 9.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Durham, NC

$76 3%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 11.8% $8.9

Getting Around

Durham, NC

$36 1.4%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 185% $67

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,710 in Durham, NC and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $103 in Durham, NC vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:59 1:59 AM

22:59 10:59 PM

3 h behind Durham, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

283,506

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Durham, NC Vancouver 3,840 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham, NC
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

Durham, NC vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durham, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% higher in Durham, NC, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,710 in Durham, NC versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Durham, NC runs roughly 228% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,542 in Durham, NC versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Durham, NC is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durham, NC delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,554 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durham, NC hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC and Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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