Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Peterborough and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Peterborough: $2,226 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Peterborough
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Peterborough Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Peterborough

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,226

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,226 in Peterborough versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Peterborough $2,226
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,205 in Peterborough versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Peterborough $3,205
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,184 in Peterborough versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Peterborough $4,184
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Peterborough costs roughly 16% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Peterborough 64% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.87 CA$18.19

$18.01 CA$25.46

-28.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 CA$98.7

$71.0 CA$100

-1.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 CA$15.30

$10.83 CA$15.31

-0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.62 CA$5.11

$3.94 CA$5.56

-8.12%

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

$1.77 CA$2.50

$2.13 CA$3.01

-16.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CA$1.92

$1.66 CA$2.34

-18.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 CA$8.05

$5.73 CA$8.10

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.84 CA$8.26

$6.40 CA$9.04

-8.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.15 CA$3.04

19.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 CA$3.47

$2.55 CA$3.61

-3.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$4.56 CA$6.45

-44.74%

Eggs

$3.24 CA$4.58

$4.06 CA$5.74

-20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 CA$15.13

$12.14 CA$17.17

-11.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 CA$15.60

$13.23 CA$18.71

-16.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.79 CA$18.08

$20.24 CA$28.62

-36.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 CA$4.80

$4.05 CA$5.73

-16.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.42 CA$2.00

Oranges (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$3.97 CA$5.62

-14.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.63

$3.91 CA$5.53

1.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 CA$2.30

$2.64 CA$3.74

-38.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.32

$2.82 CA$3.98

-16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CA$3.28

$2.48 CA$3.51

-6.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.59 CA$2.24

-6.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.53 CA$16.31

$15.30 CA$21.64

-24.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.92 CA$18.26

$14.32 CA$20.24

-9.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.43

$2.57 CA$3.63

-5.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.23

$2.91 CA$4.12

-45.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$2.55 CA$3.60

-12.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.21 CA$66.7

$84.6 CA$120

-44.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 CA$4.15

$2.64 CA$3.73

10.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 CA$1.73

$1.63 CA$2.31

-25.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.95 CA$29.62

$31.77 CA$44.91

-34.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 CA$1.56

$1.42 CA$2.01

-22.54%

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

$26.2K CA$37.1K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

-3.25%

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

$20.7K CA$29.3K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-4.07%

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

$138 CA$196

$81.3 CA$115

70.05%

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

$33.95 CA$47.99

$37.20 CA$52.6

-8.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.07 CA$63.7

$52.6 CA$74.4

-14.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 CA$62.4

$44.34 CA$62.7

-0.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.28 CA$20.19

$12.37 CA$17.49

15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.47 CA$16.22

$12.62 CA$17.85

-9.11%

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

$344 CA$487

$1,093 CA$1,544

-68.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CA$15.3K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

-45.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.01 CA$60.8

$58.5 CA$82.7

-26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.82 CA$53.5

$33.35 CA$47.14

13.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$96.3 CA$136

-12.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 CA$104

$95.6 CA$135

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 CA$1,934

$1,765 CA$2,495

-22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,202 CA$1,699

$1,508 CA$2,132

-20.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 CA$2,913

$3,122 CA$4,414

-34.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,832 CA$2,590

$2,469 CA$3,490

-25.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,455 CA$9,126

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-21.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,287 CA$8,888

$6,354 CA$8,982

-1.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,068 CA$4,338

$3,592 CA$5,078

-14.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.55

4.28

6.31%

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

Last update for Peterborough: October 19, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Peterborough

$1.2K 54%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 25.5% $307

Groceries & Markets

Peterborough

$336 15.1%

Vancouver

$399 15% 18.8% $63

Eating Out

Peterborough

$231 10.4%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 21.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Peterborough

$217 9.8%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 21.3% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Peterborough

$108 4.8%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 18.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Peterborough

$67 3%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 3.7% $2.5

Getting Around

Peterborough

$65 2.9%

Vancouver

$106 4% 61.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Peterborough and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 17% 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: $70.0 in Peterborough vs $71.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $399 per month, with Peterborough cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Peterborough

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

07:37 7:37 AM

04:37 4:37 AM

3 h behind Peterborough

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

81,032

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Peterborough Vancouver 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Peterborough
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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

Peterborough vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Peterborough is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 17% 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: $1,368 in Peterborough versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Peterborough runs roughly 79% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $344 in Peterborough versus $1,093 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,226 in Peterborough versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Peterborough but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Peterborough the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Peterborough is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Peterborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.