Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pickering, ON and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Pickering, ON: $2,590 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Pickering, ON
Learn more

Pickering, ON Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,590

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,590 per month in Pickering, ON vs $2,725 in Vancouver, rent included.

Pickering, ON $2,590
Vancouver $2,725

A couple spends around $3,662 per month in Pickering, ON vs $4,039 in Vancouver, rent included.

Pickering, ON $3,662
Vancouver $4,039

A family of three spends $4,733 per month in Pickering, ON vs $5,352 in Vancouver, rent included.

Pickering, ON $4,733
Vancouver $5,352

Pickering, ON is about 5% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Pickering, ON and Vancouver sit above the global median – Pickering, ON by 90%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.17 CA$19.89

$17.65 CA$24.77

-19.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 CA$81.2

$72.4 CA$102

-20.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 CA$15.16

$10.84 CA$15.21

-0.37%

Cappuccino

$1.97 CA$2.76

$3.91 CA$5.49

-49.62%

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

$1.69 CA$2.38

$2.10 CA$2.95

-19.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.64 CA$2.30

-3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 CA$6.63

$5.74 CA$8.06

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 CA$6.40

$6.36 CA$8.93

-28.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.00

$2.21 CA$3.10

-3.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 CA$3.11

$2.64 CA$3.71

-16.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.17

$4.68 CA$6.56

-5.98%

Eggs

$3.65 CA$5.13

$4.24 CA$5.95

-13.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.81 CA$13.77

$11.92 CA$16.73

-17.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 CA$15.97

$13.12 CA$18.42

-13.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 CA$19.86

$20.40 CA$28.63

-30.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.37

$4.10 CA$5.76

-23.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.59 CA$0.82

$1.38 CA$1.93

-57.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.57

$3.83 CA$5.37

-33.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 CA$2.92

$3.92 CA$5.50

-46.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.08

$2.77 CA$3.89

-20.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.81

$2.84 CA$3.98

-4.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.87

$2.60 CA$3.65

5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$1.59 CA$2.24

-20.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.49 CA$18.93

$15.87 CA$22.27

-15.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.98 CA$18.21

$14.00 CA$19.64

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$2.57 CA$3.61

-31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CA$3.35

$3.01 CA$4.23

-20.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.55 CA$3.59

7.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$161 CA$227

$84.1 CA$118

91.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.89 CA$4.06

$2.67 CA$3.74

8.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.58 CA$2.22

42.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.27 CA$31.26

$32.19 CA$45.17

-30.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$1.45 CA$2.04

-23.45%

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

$25.0K CA$35.0K

$27.5K CA$38.6K

-9.21%

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

$22.2K CA$31.2K

$21.3K CA$29.9K

4.21%

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

$107 CA$150

$82.5 CA$116

29.38%

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

$34.45 CA$48.34

$37.46 CA$52.6

-8.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.19 CA$67.6

$51.7 CA$72.5

-6.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 CA$84.0

$40.52 CA$56.9

47.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.56 CA$37.27

$12.69 CA$17.81

109.30%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.73

$12.66 CA$17.77

-11.45%

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

$503 CA$706

$1,080 CA$1,515

-53.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K CA$39.9K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

41.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.4 CA$104

$58.5 CA$82.0

27.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.1 CA$75.9

$34.10 CA$47.85

58.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 CA$116

$96.9 CA$136

-14.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.2 CA$108

$97.4 CA$137

-20.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 CA$2,326

$1,813 CA$2,545

-8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 CA$2,056

$1,576 CA$2,211

-7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,504 CA$3,515

$3,217 CA$4,514

-22.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,194 CA$3,079

$2,651 CA$3,721

-17.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,334 CA$6,083

$8,590 CA$12.1K

-49.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,903 CA$5,478

$6,649 CA$9,331

-41.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,072 CA$4,311

$3,733 CA$5,239

-17.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.22

4.28

-1.40%

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

Last update for Pickering, ON: October 25, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pickering, ON

$1.5K 56.6%

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8% 7.5% $111

Groceries & Markets

Pickering, ON

$322 12.4%

Vancouver

$401 14.7% 24.6% $79

Eating Out

Pickering, ON

$215 8.3%

Vancouver

$277 10.2% 28.7% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pickering, ON

$189 7.3%

Vancouver

$172 6.3% 9.4% $18

Getting Around

Pickering, ON

$187 7.2%

Vancouver

$105 3.9% 43.7% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Pickering, ON

$130 5%

Vancouver

$129 4.7% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Pickering, ON

$82 3.2%

Vancouver

$66 2.4% 20% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,658 in Pickering, ON 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 22% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $58 in Pickering, ON versus $72 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $401 – making Pickering, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Pickering, ON

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

16:28 4:28 PM

13:28 1:28 PM

3 h behind Pickering, ON

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,771

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Pickering, ON Vancouver 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pickering, ON
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

Pickering, ON vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,590 in Pickering, ON, $2,725 in Vancouver – Pickering, ON comes out roughly 5% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,885 per month in Pickering, ON and $4,087 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,658 in Pickering, ON and $1,813 in Vancouver. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,590 in Pickering, ON and $2,725 in Vancouver. That makes Pickering, ON about 5% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 48% less in Vancouver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,590 in Pickering, ON and $2,725 in Vancouver, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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