Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,002 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,002 per month in Sarnia vs $2,626 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sarnia $2,002
Vancouver $2,626

A couple spends around $2,788 per month in Sarnia vs $3,841 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sarnia $2,788
Vancouver $3,841

A family of three spends $3,574 per month in Sarnia vs $5,056 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sarnia $3,574
Vancouver $5,056

Sarnia is about 24% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sarnia and Vancouver sit above the global median – Sarnia by 48%, Vancouver by 95%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.54 CA$19.25

$17.19 CA$24.44

-21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.30 CA$64.4

$69.1 CA$98.2

-34.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 CA$13.89

$10.61 CA$15.09

-7.92%

Cappuccino

$2.95 CA$4.20

$3.83 CA$5.45

-22.98%

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

$1.93 CA$2.75

$2.04 CA$2.90

-5.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.65 CA$2.35

-16.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.26 CA$6.05

$5.54 CA$7.88

-23.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.13

$6.20 CA$8.82

-7.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$2.14 CA$3.04

-41.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 CA$3.40

$2.51 CA$3.56

-4.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.45

$4.49 CA$6.38

-46.10%

Eggs

$2.77 CA$3.94

$4.09 CA$5.81

-32.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.04 CA$15.70

$11.73 CA$16.68

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.18 CA$15.90

$13.11 CA$18.65

-14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 CA$19.44

$19.50 CA$27.73

-29.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 CA$5.00

$4.00 CA$5.68

-12.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CA$1.67

$1.38 CA$1.96

-15.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.48 CA$4.95

$3.88 CA$5.51

-10.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 CA$4.93

$3.95 CA$5.62

-12.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 CA$1.87

$2.72 CA$3.87

-51.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 CA$2.56

$2.86 CA$4.07

-37.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 CA$2.32

$2.46 CA$3.50

-33.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.79

$1.56 CA$2.22

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 CA$17.36

$15.48 CA$22.01

-21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.98 CA$14.19

$13.75 CA$19.55

-27.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 CA$3.44

$2.63 CA$3.74

-7.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 CA$3.94

$2.89 CA$4.11

-4.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 CA$3.27

$2.48 CA$3.53

-7.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 CA$80.7

$83.0 CA$118

-31.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 CA$3.46

$2.72 CA$3.87

-10.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 CA$2.42

$1.58 CA$2.25

7.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.85 CA$39.60

$31.05 CA$44.14

-10.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 CA$1.66

$1.37 CA$1.95

-14.60%

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

$27.4K CA$38.9K

$27.7K CA$39.3K

-0.95%

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

$18.8K CA$26.8K

$19.6K CA$27.9K

-4.15%

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

$138 CA$197

$82.5 CA$117

67.88%

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

$29.32 CA$41.69

$37.26 CA$53.0

-21.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.42 CA$64.6

$51.7 CA$73.6

-12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.76 CA$33.78

$42.87 CA$61.0

-44.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.73 CA$25.20

$12.40 CA$17.63

42.98%

Cinema Ticket

$11.50 CA$16.35

$12.13 CA$17.25

-5.19%

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

$349 CA$497

$1,102 CA$1,566

-68.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K CA$22.5K

$19.8K CA$28.2K

-20.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$78.7

$56.4 CA$80.2

-1.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 CA$42.29

$33.43 CA$47.53

-11.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 CA$105

$93.9 CA$133

-21.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.0 CA$104

$93.8 CA$133

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 CA$1,907

$1,775 CA$2,523

-24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 CA$1,467

$1,497 CA$2,128

-31.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 CA$3,457

$3,082 CA$4,382

-21.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CA$2,063

$2,416 CA$3,436

-39.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,170

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,061 CA$4,352

$3,776 CA$5,369

-18.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.28

18.93%

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

Last update for Sarnia: 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

Sarnia

$1K 51.5%

Vancouver

$1.5K 57% 45% $465

Groceries & Markets

Sarnia

$310 15.5%

Vancouver

$392 14.9% 26.6% $83

Eating Out

Sarnia

$219 10.9%

Vancouver

$270 10.3% 23.4% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarnia

$213 10.7%

Vancouver

$171 6.5% 19.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Sarnia

$104 5.2%

Vancouver

$125 4.8% 19.6% $20

Getting Around

Sarnia

$77 3.8%

Vancouver

$104 3.9% 34.7% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Sarnia

$47 2.3%

Vancouver

$67 2.6% 43.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,342 in Sarnia versus $1,775 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 23% higher in Vancouver, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sarnia versus $69.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $310 vs $392 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

16:34 4:34 PM

3 h behind Sarnia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,594

631,486

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Sarnia Vancouver 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarnia
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

Sarnia vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,002 in Sarnia, $2,626 in Vancouver – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,003 per month in Sarnia and $3,939 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Sarnia and $69.0 in Vancouver. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,002 in Sarnia and $2,626 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Vancouver at $2,626. In Sarnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarnia – 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 Sarnia. 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.