Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfax, VA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,409 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
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Fairfax, VA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,409

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,409 in Fairfax, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Fairfax, VA $3,409
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,871 in Fairfax, VA versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Fairfax, VA $4,871
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,333 in Fairfax, VA versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Fairfax, VA $6,333
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Fairfax, VA is roughly 30% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfax, VA 153% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 $18.62

$17.19 CA$24.30

8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$69.1 CA$97.6

37.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$10.61 CA$15.00

11.97%

Cappuccino

$6.07 $6.07

$3.83 CA$5.42

58.49%

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

$3.14 $3.14

$2.04 CA$2.88

53.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.65 CA$2.34

61.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 $6.84

$5.54 CA$7.83

23.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$6.20 CA$8.77

29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$2.14 CA$3.02

-46.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.51 CA$3.54

68.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$4.49 CA$6.35

15.37%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$4.09 CA$5.78

33.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.00 $17.00

$11.73 CA$16.58

44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.50 $14.50

$13.11 CA$18.54

10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$19.50 CA$27.57

-3.69%

Apples (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$4.00 CA$5.65

49.25%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.38 CA$1.94

65.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$3.88 CA$5.48

49.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$3.95 CA$5.58

43.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.72 CA$3.85

5.51%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.86 CA$4.05

34.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.46 CA$3.48

-3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.56 CA$2.21

69.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.17 $14.17

$15.48 CA$21.88

-8.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$13.75 CA$19.44

11.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.63 CA$3.72

-0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.89 CA$4.09

57.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.03 $5.03

$2.48 CA$3.51

102.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.1 $70.1

$83.0 CA$117

-15.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.72 CA$3.85

9.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.58 CA$2.24

-8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$31.05 CA$43.89

-22.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.37 CA$1.94

-24.09%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

31.59%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

30.60%

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

$207 $207

$82.5 CA$117

151.35%

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

$67.0 $67.0

$37.26 CA$52.7

79.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 $76.9

$51.7 CA$73.1

48.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 $73.8

$42.87 CA$60.6

72.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.45 $25.45

$12.40 CA$17.53

105.24%

Cinema Ticket

$18.15 $18.15

$12.13 CA$17.15

49.63%

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

$1,946 $1,946

$1,102 CA$1,557

76.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

73.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$56.4 CA$79.7

-5.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 $54.6

$33.43 CA$47.26

63.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 $92.2

$93.9 CA$133

-1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$93.8 CA$133

19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,439 $2,439

$1,775 CA$2,509

37.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,895 $1,895

$1,497 CA$2,116

26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,506 $3,506

$3,082 CA$4,357

13.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,903 $2,903

$2,416 CA$3,416

20.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,545 $5,545

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-31.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,018 $4,018

$6,449 CA$9,118

-37.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,577 $5,577

$3,776 CA$5,339

47.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

4.28

57.01%

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

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 55.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 21% $398

Groceries & Markets

Fairfax, VA

$481 14.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 18.5% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfax, VA

$351 10.3%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 51.2% $180

Eating Out

Fairfax, VA

$331 9.7%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 18.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 11.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfax, VA

$110 3.2%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 39% $43

Getting Around

Fairfax, VA

$100 2.9%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 3.2% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,439 in Fairfax, VA and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays 48% 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: $95.0 in Fairfax, VA vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

10:03 10:03 AM

07:03 7:03 AM

3 h behind Fairfax, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,146

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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Fairfax, VA Vancouver 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfax, VA
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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

Fairfax, VA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Fairfax, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% higher in Fairfax, VA, 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: $2,439 in Fairfax, VA versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $95.0 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 30% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.