Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 20% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth, NJ 135% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$18.01 CA$25.46

9.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$71.0 CA$100

13.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$10.83 CA$15.31

9.79%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.94 CA$5.56

38.32%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.13 CA$3.01

14.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.66 CA$2.34

-10.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$5.73 CA$8.10

35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$6.40 CA$9.04

11.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.15 CA$3.04

-40.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$2.55 CA$3.61

76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$4.56 CA$6.45

30.70%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$4.06 CA$5.74

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$12.14 CA$17.17

26.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$13.23 CA$18.71

-10.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$20.24 CA$28.62

-2.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.05 CA$5.73

46.91%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.42 CA$2.00

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.97 CA$5.62

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.91 CA$5.53

38.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.64 CA$3.74

13.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.82 CA$3.98

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.48 CA$3.51

20.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.59 CA$2.24

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$15.30 CA$21.64

-4.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$14.32 CA$20.24

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.57 CA$3.63

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.91 CA$4.12

17.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.55 CA$3.60

12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$84.6 CA$120

-10.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 CA$3.73

10.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.63 CA$2.31

29.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$31.77 CA$44.91

33.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.42 CA$2.01

-23.24%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

3.08%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

21.71%

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

$247 $247

$81.3 CA$115

204.12%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$37.20 CA$52.6

37.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$52.6 CA$74.4

-4.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$44.34 CA$62.7

-44.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$12.62 CA$17.85

58.72%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$1,093 CA$1,544

84.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-18.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$58.5 CA$82.7

-15.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$33.35 CA$47.14

132.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$96.3 CA$136

-8.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$95.6 CA$135

27.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$1,765 CA$2,495

23.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$1,508 CA$2,132

13.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$3,122 CA$4,414

-14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$2,469 CA$3,490

0.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-84.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$6,354 CA$8,982

-82.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$3,592 CA$5,078

11.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

4.28

55.84%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: 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

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 12.2% $209

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Vancouver

$399 15% 16% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 50.9% $177

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 14.4% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 15.7% $24

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Vancouver

$106 4% 4.6% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 7.3% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 11% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $71.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $399 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

15:47 3:47 PM

3 h behind Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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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Elizabeth, NJ Vancouver 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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Elizabeth, NJ
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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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Vancouver differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $2,662 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,093 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.