Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meadow Lake, SK and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Meadow Lake, SK: $2,333 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Meadow Lake, SK
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Meadow Lake, SK Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Meadow Lake, SK

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,333

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,333 per month in Meadow Lake, SK vs $2,725 in Vancouver, rent included.

Meadow Lake, SK $2,333
Vancouver $2,725

A couple spends around $3,296 per month in Meadow Lake, SK vs $4,039 in Vancouver, rent included.

Meadow Lake, SK $3,296
Vancouver $4,039

A family of three spends $4,259 per month in Meadow Lake, SK vs $5,352 in Vancouver, rent included.

Meadow Lake, SK $4,259
Vancouver $5,352

Meadow Lake, SK is about 14% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Meadow Lake, SK and Vancouver sit above the global median – Meadow Lake, SK by 71%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.41 CA$21.62

$17.65 CA$24.77

-12.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.3 CA$102

$72.4 CA$102

-0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.18 CA$12.88

$10.84 CA$15.21

-15.31%

Cappuccino

$3.59 CA$5.04

$3.91 CA$5.49

-8.18%

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

$2.05 CA$2.88

$2.10 CA$2.95

-2.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.48

$1.64 CA$2.30

7.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CA$5.59

$5.74 CA$8.06

-30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 CA$7.89

$6.36 CA$8.93

-11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.78

$2.21 CA$3.10

-42.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.24 CA$3.14

$2.64 CA$3.71

-15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.84

$4.68 CA$6.56

4.27%

Eggs

$3.52 CA$4.94

$4.24 CA$5.95

-16.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 CA$12.11

$11.92 CA$16.73

-27.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 CA$16.71

$13.12 CA$18.42

-9.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.39 CA$23.00

$20.40 CA$28.63

-19.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.89

$4.10 CA$5.76

-15.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.07

$1.38 CA$1.93

6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 CA$6.10

$3.83 CA$5.37

13.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.92 CA$5.50

-16.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.02

$2.77 CA$3.89

3.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$2.84 CA$3.98

-41.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 CA$2.55

$2.60 CA$3.65

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 CA$2.12

$1.59 CA$2.24

-5.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.07 CA$21.15

$15.87 CA$22.27

-5.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 CA$19.56

$14.00 CA$19.64

-0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$2.57 CA$3.61

10.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CA$4.83

$3.01 CA$4.23

14.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$2.55 CA$3.59

-13.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 CA$79.5

$84.1 CA$118

-32.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 CA$6.25

$2.67 CA$3.74

67.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 CA$1.85

$1.58 CA$2.22

-16.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.61 CA$14.90

$32.19 CA$45.17

-67.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$1.45 CA$2.04

-21.38%

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

$28.3K CA$39.7K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

2.87%

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

$21.6K CA$30.3K

$21.3K CA$29.9K

1.30%

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

$209 CA$293

$82.5 CA$116

153.51%

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

$47.62 CA$66.8

$37.46 CA$52.6

27.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 CA$84.4

$51.7 CA$72.5

16.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.87 CA$53.1

$40.52 CA$56.9

-6.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.52 CA$27.39

$12.69 CA$17.81

53.82%

Cinema Ticket

$11.04 CA$15.49

$12.66 CA$17.77

-12.80%

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

$487 CA$683

$1,080 CA$1,515

-54.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K CA$20.2K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

-28.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 CA$89.1

$58.5 CA$82.0

8.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.65 CA$62.7

$34.10 CA$47.85

30.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 CA$120

$96.9 CA$136

-11.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$149

$97.4 CA$137

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 CA$1,836

$1,813 CA$2,545

-27.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 CA$1,621

$1,576 CA$2,211

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 CA$2,818

$3,217 CA$4,514

-37.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,656 CA$2,324

$2,651 CA$3,721

-37.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,889 CA$5,457

$8,590 CA$12.1K

-54.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,449 CA$4,840

$6,649 CA$9,331

-48.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,998 CA$4,208

$3,733 CA$5,239

-19.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.8

4.28

12.15%

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

Last update for Meadow Lake, SK: October 26, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meadow Lake, SK

$1.2K 49.5%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 36.4% $420

Groceries & Markets

Meadow Lake, SK

$350 15%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 14.7% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meadow Lake, SK

$317 13.6%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 45.8% $145

Eating Out

Meadow Lake, SK

$240 10.3%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 15.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Meadow Lake, SK

$135 5.8%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 4.3% $5.8

Getting Around

Meadow Lake, SK

$76 3.3%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 37.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Meadow Lake, SK

$60 2.6%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 9.8% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,308 in Meadow Lake, SK versus $1,813 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 24% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Meadow Lake, SK versus $72 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $350 vs $401 – making Meadow Lake, SK the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Meadow Lake, SK

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

14:51 2:51 PM

1 h behind Meadow Lake, SK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,266

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Meadow Lake, SK Vancouver 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

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Meadow Lake, SK
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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

Meadow Lake, SK vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,500 per month in Meadow Lake, SK and $4,087 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Meadow Lake, SK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,308 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,333 in Meadow Lake, SK and $2,725 in Vancouver. That makes Meadow Lake, SK about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $487 per month in Meadow Lake, SK and $1,080 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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

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