Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint John, New Brunswick and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint John, New Brunswick: $1,934 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Saint John, New Brunswick
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Saint John, New Brunswick Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,934

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,626 in Vancouver.

Saint John, New Brunswick $1,934
Vancouver $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,885 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $3,841 in Vancouver.

Saint John, New Brunswick $2,885
Vancouver $3,841

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,836 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $5,056 in Vancouver.

Saint John, New Brunswick $3,836
Vancouver $5,056

Living in Saint John, New Brunswick costs roughly 26% less than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint John, New Brunswick 43% above, Vancouver 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.31 CA$25.89

$17.19 CA$24.30

6.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 CA$83.5

$69.1 CA$97.6

-14.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 CA$14.75

$10.61 CA$15.00

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$3.00 CA$4.25

$3.83 CA$5.42

-21.67%

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

$1.69 CA$2.39

$2.04 CA$2.88

-17.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.65 CA$2.34

-35.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 CA$6.26

$5.54 CA$7.83

-20.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CA$7.08

$6.20 CA$8.77

-19.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.07

$2.14 CA$3.02

1.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 CA$3.77

$2.51 CA$3.54

6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.12 CA$4.41

$4.49 CA$6.35

-30.51%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$4.09 CA$5.78

-15.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.17 CA$18.61

$11.73 CA$16.58

12.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 CA$16.56

$13.11 CA$18.54

-10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.78 CA$18.06

$19.50 CA$27.57

-34.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 CA$6.77

$4.00 CA$5.65

19.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.38 CA$1.94

6.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.91

$3.88 CA$5.48

7.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 CA$5.51

$3.95 CA$5.58

-1.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 CA$2.83

$2.72 CA$3.85

-26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 CA$3.11

$2.86 CA$4.05

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.49

$2.46 CA$3.48

0.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 CA$1.99

$1.56 CA$2.21

-9.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.92 CA$19.67

$15.48 CA$21.88

-10.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.90 CA$13.99

$13.75 CA$19.44

-28.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CA$2.53

$2.63 CA$3.72

-31.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.89 CA$4.09

-26.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 CA$2.92

$2.48 CA$3.51

-16.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.0 CA$79.2

$83.0 CA$117

-32.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 CA$4.13

$2.72 CA$3.85

7.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 CA$1.50

$1.58 CA$2.24

-32.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.34 CA$24.52

$31.05 CA$43.89

-44.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.76

$1.37 CA$1.94

-8.76%

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

$24.3K CA$34.4K

$27.7K CA$39.1K

-12.01%

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

$18.8K CA$26.6K

$19.6K CA$27.8K

-4.30%

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

$120 CA$169

$82.5 CA$117

44.88%

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

$41.55 CA$58.7

$37.26 CA$52.7

11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 CA$91.4

$51.7 CA$73.1

25.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 CA$73.9

$42.87 CA$60.6

21.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.03 CA$49.52

$12.40 CA$17.53

182.50%

Cinema Ticket

$12.78 CA$18.07

$12.13 CA$17.15

5.36%

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

$378 CA$534

$1,102 CA$1,557

-65.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K CA$15.7K

$19.8K CA$28.0K

-43.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.34 CA$68.3

$56.4 CA$79.7

-14.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.16 CA$49.71

$33.43 CA$47.26

5.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 CA$145

$93.9 CA$133

9.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$150

$93.8 CA$133

12.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 CA$1,400

$1,775 CA$2,509

-44.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 CA$1,158

$1,497 CA$2,116

-45.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,610 CA$2,277

$3,082 CA$4,357

-47.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,304 CA$1,843

$2,416 CA$3,416

-46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 CA$2,854

$8,069 CA$11.4K

-74.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,093 CA$2,959

$6,449 CA$9,118

-67.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 CA$3,396

$3,776 CA$5,339

-36.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.69

4.28

9.58%

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

Last update for Saint John, New Brunswick: October 13, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint John, New Brunswick

$819 42.4%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 82.8% $678

Groceries & Markets

Saint John, New Brunswick

$350 18.1%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 12.1% $42

Eating Out

Saint John, New Brunswick

$257 13.3%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 5.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint John, New Brunswick

$226 11.7%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 24% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Saint John, New Brunswick

$131 6.8%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 5% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Saint John, New Brunswick

$78 4%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 13.8% $11

Getting Around

Saint John, New Brunswick

$73 3.8%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 42.8% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick and $1,775 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 57% 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: $59.0 in Saint John, New Brunswick vs $69.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $392 per month, with Saint John, New Brunswick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

05:51 5:51 AM

01:51 1:51 AM

4 h behind Saint John, New Brunswick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,063

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

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Saint John, New Brunswick Vancouver 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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Saint John, New Brunswick
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Saint John, New Brunswick vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint John, New Brunswick wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint John, New Brunswick the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% 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: $990 in Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,934 per month in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,626 in Vancouver – a 36% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,934 in Saint John, New Brunswick versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint John, New Brunswick but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Saint John, New Brunswick 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 Saint John, New Brunswick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.