Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ajax, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajax, ON: $2,515 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Ajax, ON
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Ajax, ON Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Ajax, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,515

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Ajax, ON

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Vancouver and in Ajax, ON actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,515 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Ajax, ON $2,515

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,611 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Ajax, ON $3,611

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $4,707 in Ajax, ON, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Ajax, ON $4,707

Vancouver costs about 8% more than Ajax, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Ajax, ON sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Ajax, ON by 85%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.77

$18.19 CA$25.53

-2.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$53.8 CA$75.5

34.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.21

$10.50 CA$14.73

3.24%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.49

$3.76 CA$5.28

3.99%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$1.83 CA$2.56

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.52 CA$2.13

7.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$3.52 CA$4.93

63.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.93

$5.62 CA$7.89

13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$2.02 CA$2.83

9.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.99 CA$4.20

-11.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.56

$3.41 CA$4.79

37.24%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.87 CA$5.43

9.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.73

$10.56 CA$14.81

12.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.42

$11.77 CA$16.52

11.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.63

$17.12 CA$24.02

19.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$4.14 CA$5.81

-0.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.73 CA$2.43

-20.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$3.15 CA$4.42

21.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$3.37 CA$4.73

16.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.31 CA$3.24

19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$2.46 CA$3.46

15.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.20 CA$3.09

18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.94 CA$2.72

-18.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.27

$14.11 CA$19.81

12.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.64

$13.79 CA$19.35

1.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.12 CA$2.98

21.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$2.55 CA$3.58

18.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.47 CA$3.47

3.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$86.5 CA$121

-2.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$3.38 CA$4.75

-21.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.17

$24.55 CA$34.45

31.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.18 CA$1.66

22.88%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$28.2K CA$39.5K

-2.36%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

$21.8K CA$30.6K

-2.04%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$128 CA$179

-35.45%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$29.35 CA$41.18

27.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.5

$58.9 CA$82.6

-12.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$33.96 CA$47.66

19.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.81

$10.73 CA$15.06

18.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.77

$10.33 CA$14.50

22.56%

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

$1,080 CA$1,515

$522 CA$732

106.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$16.7K CA$23.5K

20.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.0

$51.9 CA$72.9

12.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.85

$51.8 CA$72.8

-34.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$94.9 CA$133

2.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$107 CA$151

-9.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,545

$1,510 CA$2,119

20.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,211

$1,374 CA$1,928

14.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,514

$2,351 CA$3,299

36.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,721

$2,173 CA$3,050

21.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,331

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,239

$3,081 CA$4,323

21.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.8

-10.83%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ajax, ON: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Ajax, ON

$1.4K 54.6% 12.8% $201

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Ajax, ON

$369 14.7% 8% $32

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Ajax, ON

$264 10.5% 4.6% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Ajax, ON

$216 8.6% 25.8% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Ajax, ON

$138 5.5% 6.7% $8.6

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Ajax, ON

$100 * 4% 4.9% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Ajax, ON

$55 2.2% 17.1% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,510 in Ajax, ON. 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 21% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $54 in Ajax, ON. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $369 – making Ajax, ON the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Ajax, ON

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

119,677

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Ajax, ON 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Ajax, ON

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

Vancouver vs Ajax, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $3,773 in Ajax, ON. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajax, ON, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,510 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,515 in Ajax, ON. That makes Ajax, ON about 8% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Vancouver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,515 in Ajax, ON. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Ajax, ON – 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 Ajax, ON. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.