Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Barnstable, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Barnstable, MA: $2,367 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Barnstable, MA
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Barnstable, MA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Barnstable, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Barnstable, MA

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 Barnstable, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $2,367 in Barnstable, MA.

Vancouver $2,684
Barnstable, MA $2,367

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $3,555 in Barnstable, MA.

Vancouver $3,878
Barnstable, MA $3,555

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $4,743 in Barnstable, MA.

Vancouver $5,072
Barnstable, MA $4,743

Living in Vancouver is roughly 13% more expensive than in Barnstable, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Barnstable, MA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$18.12 $18.12

-4.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$74.4 $74.4

-7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$9.84 $9.84

7.32%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$3.92 $3.92

-0.77%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.18 $2.18

-5.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.74 $1.74

-6.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$5.15 $5.15

7.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$6.63 $6.63

-4.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.05 $1.05

120.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$2.94 $2.94

-14.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$4.20 $4.20

5.71%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$4.18 $4.18

-2.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$6.44 $6.44

75.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$9.05 $9.05

48.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$8.57 $8.57

134.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$4.28 $4.28

-5.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.71 $1.71

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$4.36 $4.36

-10.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$3.43 $3.43

18.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.13 $2.13

27.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$2.22 $2.22

30.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.01 $2.01

25.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.54 $2.54

-36.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$12.28 $12.28

26.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$13.09 $13.09

7.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.15 $2.15

25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$3.90 $3.90

-23.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$1.97 $1.97

23.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$34.39 $34.39

142.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$3.59 $3.59

-24.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$3.76 $3.76

-58.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$25.84 $25.84

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.08 $1.08

27.78%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$37.3K $37.3K

-24.67%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$23.9K $23.9K

-16.98%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$101 $101

-19.83%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$59.1 $59.1

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$64.1 $64.1

-19.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$41.72 $41.72

4.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$24.22 $24.22

-48.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$14.05 $14.05

-10.75%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$1,829 $1,829

-40.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$30.5K $30.5K

-34.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$57.2 $57.2

-0.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$38.12 $38.12

-14.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$79.2 $79.2

16.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$102 $102

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,599 $1,599

9.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,294 $1,294

14.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,461 $2,461

21.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,151 $2,151

12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,770 $2,770

188.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$2,390 $2,390

170.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,660 $4,660

-18.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.64

-35.54%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Barnstable, MA: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Barnstable, MA

$1.3K 54.4% 12.8% $189

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Barnstable, MA

$324 13.6% 18.7% $75

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Barnstable, MA

$276 11.6% 1.6% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Barnstable, MA

$224 9.4% 32% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Barnstable, MA

$124 5.2% 0.2% $0.2

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Barnstable, MA

$65 2.7% 37.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Barnstable, MA

$70 2.9% 1.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $1,599 in Barnstable, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barnstable, MA pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $74.0 in Barnstable, MA. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $324, with Barnstable, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Barnstable, MA

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

07:16 7:16 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

44,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Barnstable, MA 4,120 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Vancouver and Barnstable, MA differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $2,367 including rent). Barnstable, MA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Barnstable, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,599 in Barnstable, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Barnstable, MA runs roughly 142% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver versus $1,829 in Barnstable, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Barnstable, MA 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.

Expats usually find Barnstable, MA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.