Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney, NS and Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Sydney, NS vs $2,662 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sydney, NS $1,614
Vancouver $2,662

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Sydney, NS vs $3,916 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sydney, NS $2,535
Vancouver $3,916

A family of three spends $3,456 per month in Sydney, NS vs $5,170 in Vancouver, rent included.

Sydney, NS $3,456
Vancouver $5,170

Sydney, NS is about 39% cheaper than Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Sydney, NS and Vancouver sit above the global median – Sydney, NS by 19%, Vancouver by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.13 CA$15.74

$18.01 CA$25.46

-38.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 CA$88.0

$71.0 CA$100

-12.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 CA$10.12

$10.83 CA$15.31

-33.89%

Cappuccino

$2.87 CA$4.06

$3.94 CA$5.56

-27.16%

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

$2.33 CA$3.30

$2.13 CA$3.01

9.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 CA$2.92

$1.66 CA$2.34

24.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 CA$3.61

$2.55 CA$3.61

0.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.41

$4.56 CA$6.45

-47.15%

Eggs

$3.32 CA$4.69

$4.06 CA$5.74

-18.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.27 CA$8.87

$12.14 CA$17.17

-48.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 CA$11.63

$13.23 CA$18.71

-37.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.99 CA$18.36

$20.24 CA$28.62

-35.82%

Apples (1kg)

$7.01 CA$9.91

$4.05 CA$5.73

73.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 CA$1.63

$1.42 CA$2.00

-18.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.95

$3.91 CA$5.53

-64.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.84 CA$1.18

$2.64 CA$3.74

-68.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 CA$2.68

$2.82 CA$3.98

-32.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$6.30 CA$8.90

$2.48 CA$3.51

154.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.78 CA$25.14

$15.30 CA$21.64

16.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 CA$5.92

$2.91 CA$4.12

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 CA$1.53

$2.55 CA$3.60

-57.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.48 CA$68.5

$84.6 CA$120

-42.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 CA$5.87

$2.64 CA$3.73

57.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.70

$1.42 CA$2.01

-15.49%

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

$25.7K CA$36.4K

$27.1K CA$38.3K

-5.02%

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

$19.1K CA$27.1K

$21.6K CA$30.5K

-11.37%

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

$86.3 CA$122

$81.3 CA$115

6.09%

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

$36.04 CA$51.0

$37.20 CA$52.6

-3.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 CA$104

$52.6 CA$74.4

39.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.94 CA$70.6

$44.34 CA$62.7

12.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.45 CA$4.88

$12.37 CA$17.49

-72.11%

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 CA$9.96

$12.62 CA$17.85

-44.22%

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

$721 CA$1,020

$1,093 CA$1,544

-33.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.1 CA$96.3

$58.5 CA$82.7

16.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$67.2 CA$95.1

$33.35 CA$47.14

101.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 CA$141

$96.3 CA$136

3.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CA$148

$95.6 CA$135

9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 CA$1,262

$1,765 CA$2,495

-49.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 CA$1,024

$1,508 CA$2,132

-51.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,753 CA$2,479

$3,122 CA$4,414

-43.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 CA$1,943

$2,469 CA$3,490

-44.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,527 CA$3,573

$3,592 CA$5,078

-29.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.8

4.28

35.51%

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

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9%

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7% 108% $784

Groceries & Markets

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16%

Vancouver

$399 15% 54.8% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1%

Vancouver

$171 6.4% 12.5% $25

Eating Out

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1%

Vancouver

$280 10.5% 72.4% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5%

Vancouver

$128 4.8% 16.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney, NS

$64 4%

Vancouver

$70 2.6% 8.7% $5.5

Getting Around

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5%

Vancouver

$106 4% 85.3% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $893 in Sydney, NS versus $1,765 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 42% 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 $62.0 in Sydney, NS versus $71.0 in Vancouver. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $258 vs $399 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🕒 Local time

01:14 1:14 AM

21:14 9:14 PM

4 h behind Sydney, NS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,960

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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Between locations

Sydney, NS Vancouver 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney, NS
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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

Sydney, NS vs Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 65% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Sydney, NS and $3,992 in Vancouver. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Sydney, NS and $2,662 in Vancouver. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Sydney, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – 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 Sydney, NS. 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.