Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,429 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,429

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,429 in Markham versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Markham $2,429
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,533 in Markham versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Markham $3,533
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Markham versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Markham $4,638
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Markham costs roughly 9% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 79% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.50 CA$24.74

$18.01 CA$25.46

-2.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 CA$74.5

$71.0 CA$100

-25.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 CA$14.85

$10.83 CA$15.31

-3.05%

Cappuccino

$3.69 CA$5.22

$3.94 CA$5.56

-6.35%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.13 CA$3.01

-16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 CA$1.67

$1.66 CA$2.34

-28.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.62 CA$5.11

$5.73 CA$8.10

-36.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 CA$8.07

$6.40 CA$9.04

-10.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 CA$2.71

$2.15 CA$3.04

-10.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 CA$3.19

$2.55 CA$3.61

-11.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 CA$2.70

$4.56 CA$6.45

-58.11%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.49

$4.06 CA$5.74

-21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.96 CA$16.91

$13.23 CA$18.71

-9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.92 CA$9.79

$20.24 CA$28.62

-65.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 CA$5.32

$4.05 CA$5.73

-7.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.89

$1.42 CA$2.00

-5.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 CA$3.27

$3.97 CA$5.62

-41.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 CA$4.58

$3.91 CA$5.53

-17.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 CA$2.86

$2.64 CA$3.74

-23.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 CA$2.80

$2.82 CA$3.98

-29.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 CA$4.03

$2.48 CA$3.51

14.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CA$2.10

$1.59 CA$2.24

-6.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.22 CA$18.69

$15.30 CA$21.64

-13.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 CA$20.63

$14.32 CA$20.24

1.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.39

$2.57 CA$3.63

-6.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$2.91 CA$4.12

7.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 CA$4.38

$2.55 CA$3.60

21.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 CA$130

$84.6 CA$120

8.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 CA$4.79

$2.64 CA$3.73

28.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 CA$25.88

$31.77 CA$44.91

-42.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.68

$1.42 CA$2.01

-16.20%

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

$27.6K CA$39.0K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

1.75%

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

$21.4K CA$30.2K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-0.99%

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

$126 CA$178

$81.3 CA$115

55.16%

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

$27.25 CA$38.52

$37.20 CA$52.6

-26.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.89 CA$64.9

$52.6 CA$74.4

-12.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.66 CA$60.3

$44.34 CA$62.7

-3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.28 CA$30.09

$12.37 CA$17.49

72.03%

Cinema Ticket

$10.00 CA$14.14

$12.62 CA$17.85

-20.76%

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

$878 CA$1,242

$1,093 CA$1,544

-19.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K CA$38.8K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

37.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.38 CA$59.9

$58.5 CA$82.7

-27.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.9

$33.35 CA$47.14

14.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 CA$133

$96.3 CA$136

-2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$95.6 CA$135

10.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,607 CA$2,271

$1,765 CA$2,495

-8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 CA$1,972

$1,508 CA$2,132

-7.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,736 CA$3,868

$3,122 CA$4,414

-12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 CA$3,312

$2,469 CA$3,490

-5.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,918 CA$8,367

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-27.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,456 CA$7,714

$6,354 CA$8,982

-14.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,198 CA$4,520

$3,592 CA$5,078

-10.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.56

4.28

6.54%

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

Last update for Markham: October 20, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Markham

$1.4K 57.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 8.1% $113

Groceries & Markets

Markham

$282 * 11.6%

Vancouver

$399 15% 41.6% $117

Eating Out

Markham

$257 10.6%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Markham

$199 8.2%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 14.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Markham

$126 5.2%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 1.4% $1.8

Getting Around

Markham

$107 * 4.4%

Vancouver

$106 4% 1.8% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Markham

$63 2.6%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 11% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,607 in Markham and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 12% 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: $53.0 in Markham vs $71.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $282 vs $399 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Markham

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

03:16 3:16 AM

3 h behind Markham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

338,503

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Markham Vancouver 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Markham
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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

Markham vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Markham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Vancouver. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,607 in Markham versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $878 in Markham 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 42% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Markham 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.

Safety-wise, Markham 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 Markham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.