Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, NH and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth, NH and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,959 in Portsmouth, NH versus $2,777 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,164 in Portsmouth, NH versus $4,049 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,368 in Portsmouth, NH versus $5,321 in Burnaby.

Living in Portsmouth, NH is roughly 7% more expensive than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portsmouth, NH 121% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.67 $18.67

$14.84 CA$20.88

25.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 $99.1

$74.8 CA$105

32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.25 $9.25

$9.25 CA$13.02

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$4.24 CA$5.97

6.60%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.80 CA$2.53

50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.34 CA$1.89

52.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.95 CA$8.37

0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.58 $7.58

$5.67 CA$7.98

33.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.50 CA$3.52

-58.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.75 CA$3.87

21.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$4.66 CA$6.55

-32.83%

Eggs

$2.70 $2.70

$3.27 CA$4.60

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.67 $10.67

$12.46 CA$17.54

-14.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$11.71 CA$16.47

-17.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.50 $16.50

$21.40 CA$30.12

-22.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.36 CA$4.72

46.13%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.33 CA$1.88

69.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$3.03 CA$4.27

96.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.85 CA$5.42

55.06%

Potato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.91 CA$4.10

49.48%

Onion (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$3.07 CA$4.32

40.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.47 CA$3.48

20.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.91 CA$2.68

15.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.08 $11.08

$14.81 CA$20.84

-25.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.98 $15.98

$12.95 CA$18.22

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.49 CA$3.50

-29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.55 CA$3.58

-19.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.27 CA$3.19

-34.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.8 $51.8

$77.6 CA$109

-33.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.73 CA$3.85

50.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.35 CA$1.90

31.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.71 $29.71

$26.16 CA$36.82

13.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.37 CA$1.93

-34.31%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

15.77%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

26.37%

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

$315 $315

$136 CA$192

131.03%

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

$65.5 $65.5

$41.79 CA$58.8

56.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.4 $64.4

$54.8 CA$77.1

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.98 $24.98

$31.21 CA$43.91

-19.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.36 CA$7.54

Cinema Ticket

$12.49 $12.49

$16.13 CA$22.70

-22.57%

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

$1,520 $1,520

$534 CA$752

184.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$8,169 CA$11.5K

189.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.60 $24.60

$54.8 CA$77.1

-55.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 $32.35

$53.8 CA$75.7

-39.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 $66.6

$94.3 CA$133

-29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 $82.2

$94.6 CA$133

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 $2,153

$1,884 CA$2,651

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 $1,613

$1,650 CA$2,321

-2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,149 $4,149

$4,117 CA$5,793

0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,678 CA$3,768

-9.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,736 $2,736

$6,680 CA$9,400

-59.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,951 $1,951

$5,538 CA$7,792

-64.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,097 $6,097

$3,116 CA$4,385

95.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.54

-1.38%

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

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: July 12, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,153 in Portsmouth, NH and $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth, NH pays 96% 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: $99.0 in Portsmouth, NH vs $75.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $392 per month, with Burnaby cheaper across the board.

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

Portsmouth, NH vs Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth, NH and Burnaby differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,959 vs $2,777 including rent). Burnaby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 96% higher in Portsmouth, NH, 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: $2,153 in Portsmouth, NH versus $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,520 in Portsmouth, NH versus $534 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Portsmouth, NH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

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.

Safety-wise, Portsmouth, NH and Burnaby are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

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