Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Philadelphia, PA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $2,860 in Philadelphia, PA, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Philadelphia, PA despite lower rent and utilities.

138

Cost of Living Index in Philadelphia, PA
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Philadelphia, PA Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Philadelphia, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,860

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,860 in Philadelphia, PA versus $2,684 in Vancouver.

Philadelphia, PA $2,860
Vancouver $2,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,270 in Philadelphia, PA versus $3,878 in Vancouver.

Philadelphia, PA $4,270
Vancouver $3,878

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,680 in Philadelphia, PA versus $5,072 in Vancouver.

Philadelphia, PA $5,680
Vancouver $5,072

Living in Philadelphia, PA is roughly 7% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Philadelphia, PA 113% above, Vancouver 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.06 $22.06

$17.30 CA$24.66

27.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.3 $80.3

$69.0 CA$98.3

16.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.69 $12.69

$10.56 CA$15.05

20.17%

Cappuccino

$5.31 $5.31

$3.89 CA$5.54

36.50%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$2.05 CA$2.93

47.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.62 CA$2.31

41.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$5.54 CA$7.90

9.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$6.33 CA$9.02

24.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.31 CA$3.30

-38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.50 CA$3.56

81.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.44 CA$6.33

60.59%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.07 CA$5.80

21.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.00 $12.00

$11.28 CA$16.08

6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.66 $12.66

$13.42 CA$19.13

-5.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 $17.97

$20.10 CA$28.65

-10.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$4.06 CA$5.78

33.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.33 CA$1.90

21.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$3.91 CA$5.57

32.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.05 CA$5.78

29.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.72 CA$3.88

0.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.89 CA$4.12

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.53 CA$3.61

-4.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.62 CA$2.31

53.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.96 $12.96

$15.57 CA$22.19

-16.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$14.05 CA$20.03

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.69 CA$3.83

-11.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 $4.30

$2.99 CA$4.26

43.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.44 CA$3.48

20.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 $99.4

$83.4 CA$119

19.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.71 CA$3.87

0.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.57 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.39 $24.39

$31.39 CA$44.75

-22.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.38 CA$1.96

-16.67%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

30.81%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

31.56%

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

$215 $215

$81.2 CA$116

164.88%

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

$62.9 $62.9

$37.45 CA$53.4

67.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 $65.0

$51.4 CA$73.2

26.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.3 $83.3

$43.47 CA$62.0

91.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$93.5 $93.5

$12.53 CA$17.86

646.45%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 $15.54

$12.54 CA$17.88

23.92%

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

$2,192 $2,192

$1,094 CA$1,560

100.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K $42.4K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

113.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.19 $49.19

$57.0 CA$81.3

-13.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.79 $46.79

$32.73 CA$46.66

42.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$92.6 CA$132

11.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$94.2 CA$134

49.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,998 $1,998

$1,745 CA$2,488

14.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,307 $1,307

$1,484 CA$2,115

-11.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,322 $4,322

$2,998 CA$4,273

44.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,422 CA$3,453

-9.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,022 $4,022

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-49.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,883 $1,883

$6,457 CA$9,204

-70.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,530 $4,530

$3,799 CA$5,416

19.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

4.28

54.67%

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

Last update for Philadelphia, PA: October 6, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Philadelphia, PA

$1.3K 46.1%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 13.5% $177

Groceries & Markets

Philadelphia, PA

$449 15.9%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 11.3% $51

Eating Out

Philadelphia, PA

$346 12.2%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 21.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Philadelphia, PA

$343 12.1%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 50.4% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Philadelphia, PA

$153 5.4%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 18.7% $29

Getting Around

Philadelphia, PA

$122 4.3%

Vancouver

$104 4% 14.9% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Philadelphia, PA

$114 4%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 40% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,998 in Philadelphia, PA and $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Philadelphia, PA pays 19% 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: $80.0 in Philadelphia, PA vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $449 vs $399 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Philadelphia, PA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

03:00 3:00 AM

3 h behind Philadelphia, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,573,916

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 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 = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Philadelphia, PA Vancouver 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Philadelphia, PA
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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

Philadelphia, PA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Philadelphia, PA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,998 in Philadelphia, PA versus $1,745 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $80.0 in Philadelphia, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,860 per month in Philadelphia, PA versus $2,684 in Vancouver – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Philadelphia, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.