Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,099 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Johnson City, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,099
/mo nomad
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,099 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $2,099
  • Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $3,126 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $3,126
  • Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $4,153 per month in Johnson City, TN vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Johnson City, TN $4,153
  • Vancouver $5,056

Johnson City, TN is about 20% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Johnson City, TN and Vancouver sit above the global median – Johnson City, TN by 55%, Vancouver by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.27 $14.27
$17.19 CA$24.30
-16.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.1 $54.1
$69.1 CA$97.6
-21.68%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.89 $9.89
$10.61 CA$15.00
-6.79%
Cappuccino
$5.32 $5.32
$3.83 CA$5.42
38.90%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 $2.94
$2.04 CA$2.88
44.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.65 CA$2.34
18.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.90 $4.90
$5.54 CA$7.83
-11.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.86 $5.86
$6.20 CA$8.77
-5.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$2.14 CA$3.02
-52.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.92 $3.92
$2.51 CA$3.54
56.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.87 $3.87
$4.49 CA$6.35
-13.81%
Eggs
$3.20 $3.20
$4.09 CA$5.78
-21.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.31 $7.31
$11.73 CA$16.58
-37.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.57 $13.57
$13.11 CA$18.54
3.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.99 $12.99
$19.50 CA$27.57
-33.38%
Apples (1kg)
$7.75 $7.75
$4.00 CA$5.65
93.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.38 CA$1.94
29.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$3.88 CA$5.48
1.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.61 $3.61
$3.95 CA$5.58
-8.61%
Potato (1kg)
$3.50 $3.50
$2.72 CA$3.85
28.68%
Onion (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$2.86 CA$4.05
46.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.24 $2.24
$2.46 CA$3.48
-8.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$1.56 CA$2.21
48.08%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.06 $8.06
$15.48 CA$21.88
-47.93%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.10 $13.10
$13.75 CA$19.44
-4.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.63 CA$3.72
-35.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.42 $4.42
$2.89 CA$4.09
52.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.48 CA$3.51
-0.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.08 $37.08
$83.0 CA$117
-55.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.37 $5.37
$2.72 CA$3.85
97.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.58 CA$2.24
-6.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$15.07 $15.07
$31.05 CA$43.89
-51.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.88 $0.88
$1.37 CA$1.94
-35.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.1K $32.1K
$27.7K CA$39.1K
16.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.7K $21.7K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
10.32%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$176 $176
$82.5 CA$117
113.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.0 $52.0
$37.26 CA$52.7
39.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.3 $63.3
$51.7 CA$73.1
22.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$47.50 $47.50
$42.87 CA$60.6
10.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.61 $19.61
$12.40 CA$17.53
58.15%
Cinema Ticket
$11.77 $11.77
$12.13 CA$17.15
-2.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,224 $1,224
$1,102 CA$1,557
11.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$14.6K $14.6K
$19.8K CA$28.0K
-26.44%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.93 $36.93
$56.4 CA$79.7
-34.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$30.74 $30.74
$33.43 CA$47.26
-8.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.9 $86.9
$93.9 CA$133
-7.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.3 $95.3
$93.8 CA$133
1.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,085 $1,085
$1,775 CA$2,509
-38.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$912 $912
$1,497 CA$2,116
-39.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,031 $2,031
$3,082 CA$4,357
-34.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,583 $1,583
$2,416 CA$3,416
-34.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,201 $2,201
$8,069 CA$11.4K
-72.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,159 $2,159
$6,449 CA$9,118
-66.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Johnson City, TN
Vancouver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,505 $3,505
$3,776 CA$5,339
-7.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
4.28
51.64%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: 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
Johnson City, TN
$912
Vancouver
$1.5K 64.1% $584
Groceries & Markets
Johnson City, TN
$389
Vancouver
$392 0.9% $3.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Johnson City, TN
$291
Vancouver
$171 41.2% $120
Eating Out
Johnson City, TN
$263
Vancouver
$270 2.6% $6.8
Clothing & Footwear
Johnson City, TN
$112
Vancouver
$125 11.1% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Johnson City, TN
$71
Vancouver
$67 5.5% $3.9
Getting Around
Johnson City, TN
$60
Vancouver
$104 73.4% $44

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,085 in Johnson City, TN 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 8% 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 $54.0 in Johnson City, TN versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $392 – making Johnson City, TN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🕒 Local time
03:28 3:28 AM
00:28 12:28 AM
3 h behind Johnson City, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
66,027
631,486
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Johnson City, TN Vancouver 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Johnson City, TN
  • 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
Johnson City, TN vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vancouver cheaper than Johnson City, TN?
Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,148 per month in Johnson City, TN and $3,939 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Johnson City, TN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Johnson City, TN or in Vancouver?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Johnson City, TN and $69.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Johnson City, TN and in Vancouver?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,099 in Johnson City, TN and $2,626 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 25%.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Johnson City, TN or in Vancouver?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Johnson City, TN, where all-in costs run around $2,099, than in Vancouver at $2,626. In Johnson City, TN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Johnson City, TN or Vancouver more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Johnson City, TN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Johnson City, TN or Vancouver?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Johnson City, TN. 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.

Johnson City, TN vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?