Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Powell River, BC and Victoria, Canada

Name: Victoria
Address: Victoria, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Powell River, BC: $2,288 a month against $2,554 in Victoria, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Powell River, BC
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Powell River, BC Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Victoria
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Victoria Living Index

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Powell River, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,288

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,554

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Powell River, BC and in Victoria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Powell River, BC and in Victoria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,288 per month in Powell River, BC vs $2,554 in Victoria, rent included.

Powell River, BC $2,288
Victoria $2,554

A couple spends around $3,340 per month in Powell River, BC vs $3,830 in Victoria, rent included.

Powell River, BC $3,340
Victoria $3,830

A family of three spends $4,392 per month in Powell River, BC vs $5,107 in Victoria, rent included.

Powell River, BC $4,392
Victoria $5,107

Powell River, BC is about 10% cheaper than Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Powell River, BC and Victoria sit above the global median – Powell River, BC by 68%, Victoria by 88%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.90 CA$25.11

$19.57 CA$27.46

-8.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.5 CA$91.9

$70.3 CA$98.6

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 CA$19.13

$10.92 CA$15.33

24.82%

Cappuccino

$4.00 CA$5.62

$4.27 CA$5.99

-6.32%

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

$2.09 CA$2.93

$2.34 CA$3.28

-10.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.88 CA$2.65

12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.00 CA$7.02

$5.57 CA$7.82

-10.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.65 CA$9.33

$6.63 CA$9.31

0.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.25 CA$4.56

$2.79 CA$3.92

16.49%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 CA$4.76

$3.08 CA$4.32

10.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.24 CA$7.36

$4.06 CA$5.69

29.06%

Eggs

$4.44 CA$6.24

$4.25 CA$5.96

4.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.12 CA$31.04

$27.60 CA$38.73

-19.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.58 CA$23.27

$12.88 CA$18.07

28.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.07 CA$12.72

$14.43 CA$20.25

-37.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.57

$4.09 CA$5.74

-2.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$1.99

$1.47 CA$2.06

-3.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.83

$3.90 CA$5.48

6.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 CA$6.60

$4.16 CA$5.84

12.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.65

$3.54 CA$4.97

-6.50%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.51

$2.88 CA$4.04

11.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 CA$3.86

$3.24 CA$4.55

-15.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.24

$2.51 CA$3.52

-36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.30 CA$22.88

$15.04 CA$21.10

8.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 CA$20.32

$17.77 CA$24.94

-18.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.70 CA$6.59

$3.85 CA$5.40

22.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.39

$3.62 CA$5.08

-13.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$2.10 CA$2.95

-21.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.99 CA$50.5

$60.0 CA$84.2

-40.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$2.78 CA$3.91

13.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.11

$1.59 CA$2.23

-5.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.40 CA$32.84

$34.64 CA$48.62

-32.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.75

$1.39 CA$1.95

-10.07%

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

$25.7K CA$36.0K

$28.6K CA$40.1K

-10.25%

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

$22.2K CA$31.1K

$21.2K CA$29.8K

4.50%

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

$153 CA$215

$104 CA$146

47.36%

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

$52.0 CA$73.0

$44.11 CA$61.9

17.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.0 CA$99.7

$62.1 CA$87.2

14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.74 CA$53.0

$41.39 CA$58.1

-8.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.09 CA$23.98

$17.05 CA$23.93

0.23%

Cinema Ticket

$10.53 CA$14.78

$10.58 CA$14.85

-0.47%

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

$631 CA$886

$890 CA$1,248

-29.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K CA$21.0K

$23.1K CA$32.4K

-35.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.84 CA$61.5

$55.4 CA$77.8

-20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 CA$73.0

$43.45 CA$61.0

19.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 CA$130

$91.9 CA$129

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 CA$178

$107 CA$150

18.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 CA$1,705

$1,557 CA$2,186

-21.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,015 CA$1,424

$1,300 CA$1,825

-21.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 CA$2,552

$2,730 CA$3,831

-33.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,569 CA$2,202

$2,233 CA$3,134

-29.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,724 CA$5,227

$5,638 CA$7,912

-33.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,881 CA$5,446

$4,578 CA$6,425

-15.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,621 CA$3,678

$3,229 CA$4,532

-18.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

4.31

31.55%

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

Last update for Powell River, BC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Powell River, BC

$1K 44.4%

Victoria

$1.3K 50.9% 28.1% $286

Groceries & Markets

Powell River, BC

$455 19.9%

Victoria

$470 18.4% 3.1% $14

Eating Out

Powell River, BC

$287 12.6%

Victoria

$299 11.7% 4% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Powell River, BC

$276 12.1%

Victoria

$210 8.2% 23.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Powell River, BC

$142 6.2%

Victoria

$134 5.2% 5.6% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Powell River, BC

$59 2.6%

Victoria

$63 2.5% 6.4% $3.8

Getting Around

Powell River, BC

$53 2.3%

Victoria

$79 3.1% 48.8% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,215 in Powell River, BC versus $1,557 in Victoria. 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 23% higher in Victoria. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65 in Powell River, BC versus $70 in Victoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $455 vs $470 – making Powell River, BC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Powell River, BC

🇨🇦 Victoria

🕒 Local time

16:01 4:01 PM

Same time as Powell River, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,157

85,792

💱 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

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Powell River, BC Victoria 180 km

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Powell River, BC
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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

Powell River, BC vs Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Victoria is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,431 per month in Powell River, BC and $3,832 in Victoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Powell River, BC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,215 there versus $1,557 in Victoria.

Kindergarten costs $631 per month in Powell River, BC and $890 in Victoria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Victoria, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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