Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Raleigh, NC and in Vancouver: $2,666 and $2,684 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,684 in Vancouver, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Vancouver $2,684

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $3,878 in Vancouver, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Vancouver $3,878

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $5,072 in Vancouver, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Vancouver $5,072

Raleigh, NC is about 1% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Raleigh, NC and Vancouver sit above the global median – Raleigh, NC by 99%, Vancouver by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$17.30 CA$24.66

36.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$69.0 CA$98.3

43.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$10.56 CA$15.05

3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.89 CA$5.54

49.10%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$2.05 CA$2.93

40.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.62 CA$2.31

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$5.54 CA$7.90

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$6.33 CA$9.02

12.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$2.31 CA$3.30

-60.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.50 CA$3.56

54.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$4.44 CA$6.33

-30.18%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.07 CA$5.80

15.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.28 CA$16.08

35.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.42 CA$19.13

-26.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$20.10 CA$28.65

-10.05%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$4.06 CA$5.78

61.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.33 CA$1.90

-6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.91 CA$5.57

17.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$4.05 CA$5.78

45.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.72 CA$3.88

10.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.89 CA$4.12

26.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.53 CA$3.61

-17.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.62 CA$2.31

37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$15.57 CA$22.19

-38.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$14.05 CA$20.03

6.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.69 CA$3.83

-17.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.99 CA$4.26

-8.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.44 CA$3.48

-43.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$83.4 CA$119

-51.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.71 CA$3.87

10.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.57 CA$2.24

23.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$31.39 CA$44.75

-41.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.38 CA$1.96

-29.71%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$28.1K CA$40.0K

29.21%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

26.11%

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

$193 $193

$81.2 CA$116

137.59%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$37.45 CA$53.4

52.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$51.4 CA$73.2

30.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$43.47 CA$62.0

-16.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$12.53 CA$17.86

-59.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$12.54 CA$17.88

21.85%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$1,094 CA$1,560

33.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$19.9K CA$28.4K

21.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$57.0 CA$81.3

-6.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$32.73 CA$46.66

79.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$92.6 CA$132

0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$94.2 CA$134

50.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$1,745 CA$2,488

0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$1,484 CA$2,115

-12.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$2,998 CA$4,273

1.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$2,422 CA$3,453

-16.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$8,002 CA$11.4K

-50.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$6,457 CA$9,204

-66.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$3,799 CA$5,416

13.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

4.28

54.44%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 4, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6% 14.3% $186

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Vancouver

$399 15.2% 3.7% $15

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Vancouver

$272 10.4% 23.8% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Vancouver

$170 6.5% 46.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Vancouver

$124 4.8% 20.3% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Vancouver

$69 2.6% 2.6% $1.7

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Vancouver

$104 4% 76.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC versus $1,745 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 13% higher in Raleigh, NC, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $399 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

23:32 11:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

3 h behind Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

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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Raleigh, NC Vancouver 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 1% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC and $4,026 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,463 per month in Raleigh, NC and $1,094 in Vancouver. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,666 in Raleigh, NC and $2,684 in Vancouver. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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