Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roanoke, VA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Roanoke, VA: $2,212 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

108

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke, VA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,212

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,212 in Roanoke, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Roanoke, VA $2,212
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,269 in Roanoke, VA versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Roanoke, VA $3,269
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,325 in Roanoke, VA versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Roanoke, VA $4,325
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Roanoke, VA costs roughly 16% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roanoke, VA 64% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.35 $17.35

$17.19 CA$24.30

0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$69.1 CA$97.6

-19.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$10.61 CA$15.00

11.40%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.83 CA$5.42

41.25%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.04 CA$2.88

15.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.65 CA$2.34

44.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.54 CA$7.83

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$6.20 CA$8.77

16.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.14 CA$3.02

-58.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.51 CA$3.54

17.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.49 CA$6.35

-3.56%

Eggs

$3.36 $3.36

$4.09 CA$5.78

-17.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.26 $14.26

$11.73 CA$16.58

21.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.34 $10.34

$13.11 CA$18.54

-21.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$19.50 CA$27.57

-12.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.00 CA$5.65

33.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.38 CA$1.94

-15.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.88 CA$5.48

-3.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.95 CA$5.58

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.72 CA$3.85

-16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.86 CA$4.05

11.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.46 CA$3.48

-11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.56 CA$2.21

32.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.21 $9.21

$15.48 CA$21.88

-40.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$13.75 CA$19.44

-11.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.63 CA$3.72

-35.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.89 CA$4.09

-49.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.48 CA$3.51

-27.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 $114

$83.0 CA$117

37.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.58 CA$2.24

-62.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.37 CA$1.94

-32.12%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

33.15%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

28.88%

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

$123 $123

$82.5 CA$117

49.54%

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

$55.0 $55.0

$37.26 CA$52.7

47.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$51.7 CA$73.1

24.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 $37.84

$42.87 CA$60.6

-11.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.91 $22.91

$12.40 CA$17.53

84.76%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$12.13 CA$17.15

6.60%

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

$572 $572

$1,102 CA$1,557

-48.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.07 $45.07

$56.4 CA$79.7

-20.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.44 $34.44

$33.43 CA$47.26

3.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.3 $90.3

$93.9 CA$133

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$93.8 CA$133

42.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$1,775 CA$2,509

-33.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$982 $982

$1,497 CA$2,116

-34.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$3,082 CA$4,357

-42.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,601 $1,601

$2,416 CA$3,416

-33.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 $1,999

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-75.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$6,449 CA$9,118

-69.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,312 $3,312

$3,776 CA$5,339

-12.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

4.28

59.11%

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

Last update for Roanoke, VA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Roanoke, VA

$982 44.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 52.5% $515

Groceries & Markets

Roanoke, VA

$368 16.7%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 6.6% $24

Eating Out

Roanoke, VA

$295 13.3%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 8.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Roanoke, VA

$243 11%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 29.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Roanoke, VA

$137 6.2%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 8.7% $12

Getting Around

Roanoke, VA

$124 * 5.6%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 16.6% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Roanoke, VA

$64 2.9%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 5.4% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,178 in Roanoke, VA and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 14% 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: $55.0 in Roanoke, VA vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $368 vs $392 per month, with Roanoke, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

03:30 3:30 AM

3 h behind Roanoke, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

99,837

631,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

CAD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Roanoke, VA Vancouver 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Roanoke, VA
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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

Roanoke, VA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roanoke, VA and Vancouver differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,212 vs $2,626 including rent). Roanoke, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 14% lower in Vancouver. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,178 in Roanoke, VA versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,212 per month in Roanoke, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roanoke, VA runs roughly 37% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,212 in Roanoke, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Roanoke, VA but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Roanoke, VA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Roanoke, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.