Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Vancouver $5,056

Ithaca, NY costs about 12% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ithaca, NY and Vancouver sit above the global median – Ithaca, NY by 118%, Vancouver by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$17.19 CA$24.30

28.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$69.1 CA$97.6

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$10.61 CA$15.00

5.75%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.83 CA$5.42

31.59%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$2.04 CA$2.88

31.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.65 CA$2.34

23.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$5.54 CA$7.83

-11.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$6.20 CA$8.77

49.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.14 CA$3.02

-52.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.51 CA$3.54

33.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$4.49 CA$6.35

60.36%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$4.09 CA$5.78

0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$11.73 CA$16.58

22.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$13.11 CA$18.54

-48.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$19.50 CA$27.57

-21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.00 CA$5.65

18.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.38 CA$1.94

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$3.88 CA$5.48

40.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.95 CA$5.58

18.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.72 CA$3.85

20.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.86 CA$4.05

25.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.46 CA$3.48

-5.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.56 CA$2.21

32.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$15.48 CA$21.88

-41.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$13.75 CA$19.44

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.63 CA$3.72

-30.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.89 CA$4.09

33.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.48 CA$3.51

-20.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$83.0 CA$117

-44.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$2.72 CA$3.85

84.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.58 CA$2.24

-10.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$31.05 CA$43.89

-3.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.37 CA$1.94

-22.63%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

31.50%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

27.43%

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

$164 $164

$82.5 CA$117

99.13%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$37.26 CA$52.7

28.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

-1.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$42.87 CA$60.6

-17.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$12.13 CA$17.15

-10.63%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$1,102 CA$1,557

33.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-14.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$56.4 CA$79.7

-17.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$33.43 CA$47.26

20.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$93.9 CA$133

-16.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$93.8 CA$133

13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$1,775 CA$2,509

22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$1,497 CA$2,116

14.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$3,082 CA$4,357

-11.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$2,416 CA$3,416

-23.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-72.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$6,449 CA$9,118

-66.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$3,776 CA$5,339

-8.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

4.28

50.93%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: 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

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 12.7% $217

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 1.5% $5.9

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 18.9% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 34.8% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 2.1% $2.6

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 57.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 17.9% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, NY versus $1,775 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 9% higher in Vancouver, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Groceries tell a different story – $387 in Ithaca, NY vs $392 in Vancouver – so Ithaca, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

00:09 12:09 AM

21:09 9:09 PM

3 h behind Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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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Ithaca, NY Vancouver 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, NY
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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

Ithaca, NY vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, $2,626 in Vancouver – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, NY and $3,939 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in Ithaca, NY and $69.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $2,626 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 12%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $2,626 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Vancouver – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.