Cost of Living Comparison Between Taunton and Port Alberni Cost of Living Comparison Between Taunton and Port Alberni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,865 in Taunton versus $1,689 in Port Alberni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,348 in Taunton versus $2,883 in Port Alberni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,830 in Taunton versus $4,078 in Port Alberni.

Living in Taunton is roughly 70% more expensive than in Port Alberni, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Taunton 109% above, Port Alberni 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.64 £10.09

$18.24 CA$25.23

-25.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 £69.6

$63.1 CA$87.3

49.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.21 £7.55

$10.75 CA$14.87

-5.02%

Cappuccino

$4.17 £3.09

$4.06 CA$5.62

2.71%

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

$1.92 £1.42

$2.11 CA$2.91

-9.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 £0.98

$1.46 CA$2.02

-8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 £3.95

$3.68 CA$5.09

45.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 £3.47

$5.57 CA$7.71

-15.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.22

$2.19 CA$3.03

-24.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.38 CA$3.30

-23.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.39 £1.77

$2.85 CA$3.94

-16.14%

Eggs

$4.39 £3.25

$3.95 CA$5.47

11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.36 £4.70

$9.20 CA$12.73

-30.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.17 £6.79

$4.43 CA$6.13

107.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.66 £9.37

$20.20 CA$27.94

-37.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$2.81 CA$3.89

-17.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 £0.81

$1.06 CA$1.46

2.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 £1.45

$3.52 CA$4.87

-44.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 £1.67

$3.63 CA$5.02

-38.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 £1.60

$2.14 CA$2.96

1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.93 CA$2.68

-29.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 £1.12

$2.20 CA$3.04

-31.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 £1.42

$0.69 CA$0.95

178.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.41 £18.06

$10.62 CA$14.69

129.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.12 £7.49

$10.86 CA$15.03

-6.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 £2.10

$2.67 CA$3.69

6.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 £1.82

$3.10 CA$4.29

-20.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 £2.71

$1.47 CA$2.04

148.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 £77.6

$34.36 CA$47.53

205.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 £2.38

$2.80 CA$3.88

14.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 £1.11

$1.63 CA$2.26

-7.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.72 £24.95

$32.70 CA$45.24

3.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 £1.49

$1.16 CA$1.61

74.14%

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

$39.0K £28.9K

$28.6K CA$39.5K

36.67%

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

$42.2K £31.2K

$19.6K CA$27.1K

114.82%

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

$366 £271

$80.2 CA$111

356.21%

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

$16.80 £12.43

$35.79 CA$49.51

-53.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.40 £32.11

$51.4 CA$71.2

-15.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.6 £45.58

$44.07 CA$61.0

39.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.65 £15.27

Cinema Ticket

$10.75 £7.95

$11.87 CA$16.43

-9.44%

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

$2,331 £1,724

$1,123 CA$1,553

107.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.8K £25.8K

$21.2K CA$29.3K

64.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.4 £69.1

$61.1 CA$84.6

52.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.1 £37.80

$35.14 CA$48.61

45.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 £83.5

$88.3 CA$122

27.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 £108

$97.6 CA$135

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,605 £1,187

$810 CA$1,121

98.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,461 £1,081

$729 CA$1,009

100.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,525 £2,608

$1,748 CA$2,418

101.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,929 £2,167

$1,705 CA$2,359

71.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,482 £2,576

$3,089 CA$4,273

12.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

4.23

17.26%

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

Last update for Taunton: August 31, 2026

Last update for Port Alberni: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,605 in Taunton and $810 in Port Alberni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Taunton pays 13% 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: $94.0 in Taunton vs $63.0 in Port Alberni. Groceries flip the comparison at $280 vs $305, with Taunton cheaper for home cooking.

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

Taunton vs Port Alberni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Alberni is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Taunton, 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: $1,605 in Taunton versus $810 in Port Alberni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Port Alberni – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $94.0 in Taunton. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,865 per month in Taunton versus $1,689 in Port Alberni – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,689 in Port Alberni versus $2,865 in Taunton, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Port Alberni but tight or insufficient in Taunton. The gap between the two cities makes Port Alberni 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.

Safety-wise, Taunton and Port Alberni 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 Port Alberni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Taunton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.