Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Norfolk, VA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Norfolk, VA: $2,428 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

117

Cost of Living Index in Norfolk, VA
Learn more

Norfolk, VA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Norfolk, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,428 in Norfolk, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Norfolk, VA $2,428
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,629 in Norfolk, VA versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Norfolk, VA $3,629
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,829 in Norfolk, VA versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Norfolk, VA $4,829
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Norfolk, VA costs roughly 8% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Norfolk, VA 80% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.58 $18.58

$17.19 CA$24.30

8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 $91.0

$69.1 CA$97.6

31.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.54 $11.54

$10.61 CA$15.00

8.77%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$3.83 CA$5.42

54.05%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$2.04 CA$2.88

37.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.65 CA$2.34

26.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$5.54 CA$7.83

11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$6.20 CA$8.77

14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.14 CA$3.02

-53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$2.51 CA$3.54

57.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.49 CA$6.35

22.49%

Eggs

$4.76 $4.76

$4.09 CA$5.78

16.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.65 $15.65

$11.73 CA$16.58

33.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$13.11 CA$18.54

-25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$19.50 CA$27.57

-7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.00 CA$5.65

21.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.38 CA$1.94

-9.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.88 CA$5.48

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$3.95 CA$5.58

44.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.72 CA$3.85

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.86 CA$4.05

26.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.46 CA$3.48

-23.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.56 CA$2.21

36.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.25 $9.25

$15.48 CA$21.88

-40.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.75 CA$19.44

11.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.63 CA$3.72

-31.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.89 CA$4.09

-5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.48 CA$3.51

-20.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$83.0 CA$117

24.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.72 CA$3.85

71.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.58 CA$2.24

-15.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.09 $18.09

$31.05 CA$43.89

-41.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 CA$1.94

-27.74%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

26.99%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

30.00%

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

$213 $213

$82.5 CA$117

158.56%

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

$56.2 $56.2

$37.26 CA$52.7

50.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

29.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.15 $40.15

$42.87 CA$60.6

-6.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.76 $17.76

$12.40 CA$17.53

43.23%

Cinema Ticket

$11.77 $11.77

$12.13 CA$17.15

-2.97%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$1,102 CA$1,557

34.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-19.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$56.4 CA$79.7

-4.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.10 $48.10

$33.43 CA$47.26

43.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 $92.3

$93.9 CA$133

-1.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$93.8 CA$133

28.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 $1,233

$1,775 CA$2,509

-30.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 $1,032

$1,497 CA$2,116

-31.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,158 $2,158

$3,082 CA$4,357

-29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$2,416 CA$3,416

-30.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,458 $2,458

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-69.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,304 $2,304

$6,449 CA$9,118

-64.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,423 $3,423

$3,776 CA$5,339

-9.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.28

53.50%

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

Last update for Norfolk, VA: 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

Norfolk, VA

$1K 42.5%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 45% $464

Groceries & Markets

Norfolk, VA

$412 17%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 4.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Norfolk, VA

$336 13.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 49% $165

Eating Out

Norfolk, VA

$319 13.1%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 15.2% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Norfolk, VA

$142 5.8%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 12% $17

Getting Around

Norfolk, VA

$123 5.1%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 15.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Norfolk, VA

$64 2.6%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 5.4% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,233 in Norfolk, VA and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 10% 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: $91.0 in Norfolk, VA vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Norfolk, VA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

12:51 12:51 PM

3 h behind Norfolk, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,803

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Norfolk, VA Vancouver 3,970 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Norfolk, VA
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

Norfolk, VA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Norfolk, VA and Vancouver differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,428 vs $2,626 including rent). Norfolk, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% 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: $1,233 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,480 in Norfolk, VA versus $1,102 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vancouver pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,428 in Norfolk, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Norfolk, VA but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Norfolk, VA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Norfolk, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.