Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,923 in Montclair, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Montclair, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,923
/mo nomad
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,626
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,923 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Montclair, NJ $2,923
  • Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Montclair, NJ $4,274
  • Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $5,626 per month in Montclair, NJ vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

  • Montclair, NJ $5,626
  • Vancouver $5,056

Montclair, NJ costs about 11% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Montclair, NJ and Vancouver sit above the global median – Montclair, NJ by 117%, Vancouver by 95%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.91 $19.91
$17.19 CA$24.30
15.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.4 $79.4
$69.1 CA$97.6
15.02%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.18 $13.18
$10.61 CA$15.00
24.22%
Cappuccino
$6.44 $6.44
$3.83 CA$5.42
68.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 $2.48
$2.04 CA$2.88
21.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 $1.48
$1.65 CA$2.34
-10.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.66 $8.66
$5.54 CA$7.83
56.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.91 $6.91
$6.20 CA$8.77
11.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 $1.27
$2.14 CA$3.02
-40.65%
White Bread (500g)
$4.47 $4.47
$2.51 CA$3.54
78.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.09 $6.09
$4.49 CA$6.35
35.63%
Eggs
$6.14 $6.14
$4.09 CA$5.78
50.12%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.71 $13.71
$11.73 CA$16.58
16.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.37 $10.37
$13.11 CA$18.54
-20.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.41 $18.41
$19.50 CA$27.57
-5.59%
Apples (1kg)
$5.87 $5.87
$4.00 CA$5.65
46.75%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 $2.09
$1.38 CA$1.94
51.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$3.88 CA$5.48
7.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.45 $5.45
$3.95 CA$5.58
37.97%
Potato (1kg)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.72 CA$3.85
13.60%
Onion (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.86 CA$4.05
4.90%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.90 $2.90
$2.46 CA$3.48
17.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.62 $2.62
$1.56 CA$2.21
67.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.73 $17.73
$15.48 CA$21.88
14.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.84 $14.84
$13.75 CA$19.44
7.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.63 CA$3.72
-33.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 $3.65
$2.89 CA$4.09
26.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.48 CA$3.51
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$83.0 CA$117
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.92 $2.92
$2.72 CA$3.85
7.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.11 $2.11
$1.58 CA$2.24
33.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.91 $41.91
$31.05 CA$43.89
34.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.37 CA$1.94
-18.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.2K $36.2K
$27.7K CA$39.1K
30.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K $25.1K
$19.6K CA$27.8K
27.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$82.5 CA$117
105.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$51.7 $51.7
$37.26 CA$52.7
38.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.53 $49.53
$51.7 CA$73.1
-4.25%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$79.2 $79.2
$42.87 CA$60.6
84.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$12.40 CA$17.53
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.46 $20.46
$12.13 CA$17.15
68.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,014 $2,014
$1,102 CA$1,557
82.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.9K $15.9K
$19.8K CA$28.0K
-19.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.1 $71.1
$56.4 CA$79.7
26.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$51.5 $51.5
$33.43 CA$47.26
54.08%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 $101
$93.9 CA$133
7.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$121 $121
$93.8 CA$133
28.82%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,227 $2,227
$1,775 CA$2,509
25.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 $1,570
$1,497 CA$2,116
4.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,763 $3,763
$3,082 CA$4,357
22.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,573 $2,573
$2,416 CA$3,416
6.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$8,069 CA$11.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,449 CA$9,118
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Montclair, NJ
Vancouver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$3,776 CA$5,339
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
4.28
58.88%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: 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
Montclair, NJ
$1.6K
Vancouver
$1.5K 4.7% $73
Groceries & Markets
Montclair, NJ
$444
Vancouver
$392 11.7% $52
Eating Out
Montclair, NJ
$349
Vancouver
$270 22.6% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Montclair, NJ
$271
Vancouver
$171 36.7% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Montclair, NJ
$155
Vancouver
$125 19.5% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Montclair, NJ
$120
Vancouver
$67 44.1% $53
Getting Around
Montclair, NJ
$13 *
Vancouver
$104 668% $90

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,227 in Montclair, NJ 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Montclair, NJ versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $444 vs $392 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Montclair, NJ
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🕒 Local time
15:32 3:32 PM
12:32 12:32 PM
3 h behind Montclair, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,669
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
  • Montclair, NJ Vancouver 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Montclair, NJ
  • 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
Montclair, NJ vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vancouver cheaper than Montclair, NJ?
Yes – Montclair, NJ is pricier by about 11%, 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 $4,384 per month in Montclair, NJ 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 Vancouver, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Montclair, NJ and in Vancouver?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,923 in Montclair, NJ and $2,626 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 11%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $2,014 per month in Montclair, NJ and $1,102 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough to cover costs in Montclair, NJ or in Vancouver?
$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,923 in Montclair, NJ and $2,626 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is Montclair, NJ or Vancouver more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Montclair, NJ 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 Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montclair, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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