Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $29,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
Vancouver $5,072

New York, NY costs about 92% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and Vancouver sit above the global median – New York, NY by 284%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$17.30 CA$24.61

52.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$69.0 CA$98.1

72.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$10.56 CA$15.02

36.65%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$3.89 CA$5.53

68.38%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$2.05 CA$2.92

87.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.62 CA$2.31

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$5.54 CA$7.89

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$6.33 CA$9.00

58.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$2.31 CA$3.29

-43.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.50 CA$3.56

96.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$4.44 CA$6.32

61.26%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$4.07 CA$5.79

45.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$11.28 CA$16.04

68.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$13.42 CA$19.09

29.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$20.10 CA$28.59

-5.77%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.06 CA$5.77

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.33 CA$1.89

56.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.91 CA$5.56

56.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.05 CA$5.77

71.60%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.72 CA$3.87

46.32%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.89 CA$4.11

53.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.53 CA$3.60

11.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.62 CA$2.30

54.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$15.57 CA$22.15

23.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$14.05 CA$19.99

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.69 CA$3.82

14.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.99 CA$4.26

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.44 CA$3.47

23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$83.4 CA$119

67.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.71 CA$3.86

13.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.57 CA$2.23

35.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$31.39 CA$44.65

31.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.38 CA$1.96

-19.57%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$28.1K CA$39.9K

24.68%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

28.17%

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

$217 $217

$81.2 CA$115

167.98%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$37.45 CA$53.3

97.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$51.4 CA$73.1

41.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$43.47 CA$61.8

177.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$12.53 CA$17.82

433.84%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$12.54 CA$17.84

77.99%

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

$3,425 $3,425

$1,094 CA$1,557

212.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

$19.9K CA$28.3K

207.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$57.0 CA$81.1

33.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$32.73 CA$46.56

69.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$92.6 CA$132

28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$94.2 CA$134

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$1,745 CA$2,483

158.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$1,484 CA$2,111

112.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$2,998 CA$4,264

194.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$2,422 CA$3,446

128.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$8,002 CA$11.4K

142.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$6,457 CA$9,184

4.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$3,799 CA$5,404

39.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

4.28

59.35%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 53% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 27% $147

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 35.6% $151

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 53.3% $194

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 27.5% $47

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Vancouver

$104 4% 37.3% $62

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 58.5% $97

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $1,745 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 39% higher in New York, NY, 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

3 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Vancouver 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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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

New York, NY vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 92% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $4,026 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Kindergarten costs $3,425 per month in New York, NY and $1,094 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $5,142 in New York, NY and $2,684 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vancouver costs $2,684 versus $5,142 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.