Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saanich and Vancouver

For one person, living costs are similar in Saanich and in Vancouver: $2,548 and $2,626 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,548

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,548 in Saanich versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Saanich $2,548
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,593 in Saanich versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Saanich $3,593
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Saanich versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Saanich $4,638
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Saanich costs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saanich 89% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 CA$24.77

$17.19 CA$24.30

1.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 CA$99.6

$69.1 CA$97.6

2.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 CA$15.58

$10.61 CA$15.00

3.86%

Cappuccino

$4.38 CA$6.19

$3.83 CA$5.42

14.36%

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

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.04 CA$2.88

7.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CA$2.51

$1.65 CA$2.34

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.52 CA$7.80

$5.54 CA$7.83

-0.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CA$9.65

$6.20 CA$8.77

10.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 CA$2.79

$2.14 CA$3.02

-7.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 CA$4.30

$2.51 CA$3.54

21.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.97 CA$4.19

$4.49 CA$6.35

-33.85%

Eggs

$4.18 CA$5.90

$4.09 CA$5.78

2.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 CA$16.05

$11.73 CA$16.58

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.07

$13.11 CA$18.54

-2.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.94 CA$23.94

$19.50 CA$27.57

-13.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.53 CA$6.41

$4.00 CA$5.65

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 CA$2.00

$1.38 CA$1.94

2.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$3.88 CA$5.48

7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.67 CA$8.02

$3.95 CA$5.58

43.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.50 CA$4.95

$2.72 CA$3.85

28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.08

$2.86 CA$4.05

1.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.17 CA$4.48

$2.46 CA$3.48

28.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.56 CA$2.21

39.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.81 CA$19.52

$15.48 CA$21.88

-10.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.12 CA$21.37

$13.75 CA$19.44

9.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.80

$2.63 CA$3.72

2.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CA$4.92

$2.89 CA$4.09

20.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.31 CA$3.27

$2.48 CA$3.51

-6.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 CA$111

$83.0 CA$117

-5.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 CA$3.93

$2.72 CA$3.85

2.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$1.58 CA$2.24

-2.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.67 CA$39.12

$31.05 CA$43.89

-10.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$1.37 CA$1.94

0.73%

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

$27.4K CA$38.7K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-0.93%

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

$19.2K CA$27.1K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-2.35%

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

$120 CA$170

$82.5 CA$117

45.82%

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

$40.21 CA$56.9

$37.26 CA$52.7

7.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 CA$93.0

$51.7 CA$73.1

27.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.6 CA$96.9

$42.87 CA$60.6

59.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.39 CA$16.10

$12.13 CA$17.15

-6.10%

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

$905 CA$1,280

$1,102 CA$1,557

-17.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K CA$18.2K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 CA$73.8

$56.4 CA$79.7

-7.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.03 CA$49.53

$33.43 CA$47.26

4.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 CA$127

$93.9 CA$133

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 CA$151

$93.8 CA$133

14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,413 CA$1,998

$1,775 CA$2,509

-20.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 CA$1,854

$1,497 CA$2,116

-12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,005 CA$2,834

$3,082 CA$4,357

-34.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 CA$2,606

$2,416 CA$3,416

-23.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,748 CA$5,298

$6,449 CA$9,118

-41.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,173

$3,776 CA$5,339

-21.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

4.28

10.28%

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

Last update for Saanich: October 11, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saanich

$1.3K 51.5%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 14.1% $185

Groceries & Markets

Saanich

$409 16.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 4.1% $17

Eating Out

Saanich

$283 11.1%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 4.5% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saanich

$226 8.9%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 24.2% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Saanich

$128 5%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 2.4% $3.1

Getting Around

Saanich

$98 3.9%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 5.4% $5.3

Sport & Entertainment

Saanich

$91 3.6%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 26.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,413 in Saanich and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 28% 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: $70.0 in Saanich vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $392 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saanich

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

10:55 10:55 AM

Same time as Saanich

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,735

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Saanich Vancouver 91 km

From you

Saanich
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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

Saanich vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saanich is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 28% 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: $1,413 in Saanich versus $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Saanich – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,548 per month in Saanich versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Saanich 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.

Expats usually find Saanich gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.