Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Westminster and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in New Westminster: $2,536 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,536 per month in New Westminster vs $2,725 in Vancouver, rent included.

New Westminster $2,536
Vancouver $2,725

A couple spends around $3,772 per month in New Westminster vs $4,039 in Vancouver, rent included.

New Westminster $3,772
Vancouver $4,039

A family of three spends $5,008 per month in New Westminster vs $5,352 in Vancouver, rent included.

New Westminster $5,008
Vancouver $5,352

New Westminster is about 7% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both New Westminster and Vancouver sit above the global median – New Westminster by 86%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.53 CA$27.29

$17.65 CA$24.66

10.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.69 CA$69.4

$72.4 CA$101

-31.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.26 CA$14.33

$10.84 CA$15.14

-5.35%

Cappuccino

$3.55 CA$4.96

$3.91 CA$5.47

-9.21%

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

$1.88 CA$2.63

$2.10 CA$2.94

-10.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.31

$1.64 CA$2.29

0.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 CA$8.58

$5.74 CA$8.02

6.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 CA$7.77

$6.36 CA$8.89

-12.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 CA$2.50

$2.21 CA$3.09

-19.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 CA$3.32

$2.64 CA$3.69

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.49 CA$4.88

$4.68 CA$6.54

-25.43%

Eggs

$3.23 CA$4.51

$4.24 CA$5.92

-23.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.95 CA$15.30

$11.92 CA$16.66

-8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.61 CA$21.81

$13.12 CA$18.34

18.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.23 CA$38.05

$20.40 CA$28.51

33.48%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.46

$4.10 CA$5.73

-4.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.07

$1.38 CA$1.92

7.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 CA$5.29

$3.83 CA$5.35

-1.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$3.92 CA$5.47

-5.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$2.77 CA$3.88

-11.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$2.84 CA$3.96

-22.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$2.60 CA$3.63

-11.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.59 CA$2.23

16.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.50 CA$21.65

$15.87 CA$22.17

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.88 CA$15.21

$14.00 CA$19.56

-22.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.85

$2.57 CA$3.59

-20.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 CA$3.93

$3.01 CA$4.21

-6.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 CA$3.44

$2.55 CA$3.57

-3.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.0 CA$127

$84.1 CA$118

8.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$2.67 CA$3.73

-18.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 CA$2.52

$1.58 CA$2.21

14.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 CA$31.75

$32.19 CA$44.98

-29.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 CA$1.84

$1.45 CA$2.03

-8.97%

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

$24.4K CA$34.1K

$27.5K CA$38.4K

-11.33%

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

$20.9K CA$29.2K

$21.3K CA$29.8K

-1.86%

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

$141 CA$196

$82.5 CA$115

70.47%

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

$43.47 CA$60.7

$37.46 CA$52.3

16.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 CA$90.9

$51.7 CA$72.2

25.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.49 CA$46.80

$40.52 CA$56.6

-17.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 CA$24.72

$12.69 CA$17.73

39.40%

Cinema Ticket

$11.52 CA$16.09

$12.66 CA$17.69

-9.00%

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

$794 CA$1,109

$1,080 CA$1,509

-26.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,694 CA$12.1K

$20.1K CA$28.1K

-56.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 CA$73.2

$58.5 CA$81.7

-10.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.09 CA$57.4

$34.10 CA$47.65

20.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 CA$112

$96.9 CA$135

-17.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 CA$138

$97.4 CA$136

1.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,624 CA$2,269

$1,813 CA$2,534

-10.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 CA$1,824

$1,576 CA$2,202

-17.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 CA$3,729

$3,217 CA$4,494

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,310 CA$3,228

$2,651 CA$3,705

-12.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,751 CA$6,639

$8,590 CA$12.0K

-44.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,037 CA$5,641

$6,649 CA$9,291

-39.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,171 CA$4,431

$3,733 CA$5,216

-15.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.28

10.28%

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

Last update for New Westminster: October 24, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 20.7% $270

Groceries & Markets

New Westminster

$404 15.9%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 0.8% $3.1

Eating Out

New Westminster

$286 11.3%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 3% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Westminster

$249 9.8%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 31.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

New Westminster

$122 4.8%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 5.4% $6.6

Getting Around

New Westminster

$112 4.4%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 6.4% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

New Westminster

$57 2.2%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 16.5% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,624 in New Westminster 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 18% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in New Westminster versus $72 in Vancouver. Groceries tell a different story – $404 in New Westminster vs $401 in Vancouver – so Vancouver wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

Same time as New Westminster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,000

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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New Westminster
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New Westminster vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 7% more than New Westminster, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,803 per month in New Westminster 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 New Westminster, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,624 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,536 in New Westminster and $2,725 in Vancouver. That makes New Westminster about 7% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $794 per month in New Westminster and $1,080 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,536 in New Westminster and $2,725 in Vancouver. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward New Westminster – 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 New Westminster. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.