Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, MA and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
Learn more

Salem, MA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index

Jump to prices

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,511 in Salem, MA versus $2,662 in Vancouver.

Salem, MA $3,511
Vancouver $2,662

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,880 in Salem, MA versus $3,916 in Vancouver.

Salem, MA $4,880
Vancouver $3,916

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,248 in Salem, MA versus $5,170 in Vancouver.

Salem, MA $6,248
Vancouver $5,170

Living in Salem, MA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salem, MA 159% above, Vancouver 96% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.63 $24.63

$18.01 CA$25.46

36.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$71.0 CA$100

38.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$10.83 CA$15.31

3.42%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.94 CA$5.56

27.92%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.13 CA$3.01

15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.66 CA$2.34

30.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$5.73 CA$8.10

41.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$6.40 CA$9.04

12.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.15 CA$3.04

-41.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.55 CA$3.61

39.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.56 CA$6.45

-2.85%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.06 CA$5.74

6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$12.14 CA$17.17

0.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 $11.72

$13.23 CA$18.71

-11.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 $17.43

$20.24 CA$28.62

-13.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.05 CA$5.73

13.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.42 CA$2.00

9.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.97 CA$5.62

5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$3.91 CA$5.53

21.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.64 CA$3.74

6.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.82 CA$3.98

2.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.48 CA$3.51

2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.59 CA$2.24

40.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.02 $11.02

$15.30 CA$21.64

-27.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$14.32 CA$20.24

6.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.57 CA$3.63

-30.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.91 CA$4.12

17.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.55 CA$3.60

-25.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.09 $40.09

$84.6 CA$120

-52.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.64 CA$3.73

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.63 CA$2.31

-5.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.85 $31.85

$31.77 CA$44.91

0.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.42 CA$2.01

-37.32%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

-4.51%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

24.29%

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

$179 $179

$81.3 CA$115

119.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.20 CA$52.6

59.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.8 $63.8

$52.6 CA$74.4

21.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 $42.17

$44.34 CA$62.7

-4.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$14.49 $14.49

$12.62 CA$17.85

14.82%

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

$1,266 $1,266

$1,093 CA$1,544

15.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$20.0K CA$28.2K

18.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.2 $84.2

$58.5 CA$82.7

43.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.8 $56.8

$33.35 CA$47.14

70.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$96.3 CA$136

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.1 $98.1

$95.6 CA$135

2.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,339 $2,339

$1,765 CA$2,495

32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$1,508 CA$2,132

43.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,928 $3,928

$3,122 CA$4,414

25.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,135 $3,135

$2,469 CA$3,490

27.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,748 $2,748

$8,173 CA$11.6K

-66.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$6,354 CA$8,982

-63.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,532 $9,532

$3,592 CA$5,078

165.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

4.28

53.50%

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

Last update for Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 30.2% $654

Groceries & Markets

Salem, MA

$401 11.4%

Vancouver

$399 15% 0.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Salem, MA

$365 10.4%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 23.1% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salem, MA

$302 8.6%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 43.3% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Salem, MA

$152 4.3%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 15.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Salem, MA

$71 2%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 2.2% $1.6

Getting Around

Salem, MA

$58 1.7%

Vancouver

$106 4% 80.8% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,339 in Salem, MA and $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 165% 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: $98.0 in Salem, MA vs $71.0 in Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $399 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

13:49 1:49 PM

10:49 10:49 AM

3 h behind Salem, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,469

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salem, MA Vancouver 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Salem, MA
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

Salem, MA vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Salem, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 165% higher in Salem, MA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,339 in Salem, MA versus $1,765 in Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,266 in Salem, MA versus $1,093 in Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Salem, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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.

Safety-wise, Salem, MA and Vancouver are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.