Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Belfast, ME

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Belfast, ME: $2,662 and $2,590 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Belfast, ME
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Belfast, ME Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Belfast, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Belfast, ME

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 Belfast, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $2,590 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Belfast, ME $2,590

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $3,767 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Belfast, ME $3,767

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $4,944 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Belfast, ME $4,944

Vancouver costs about 3% more than Belfast, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vancouver and Belfast, ME sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Belfast, ME by 91%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$19.87 $19.87

-9.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$74.9 $74.9

-5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$11.45 $11.45

-5.41%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$5.46 $5.46

-27.84%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.69 $2.69

-20.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$2.03 $2.03

-18.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.86 $5.86

-2.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$7.44 $7.44

-13.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.01 $1.01

112.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$3.44 $3.44

-25.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.29 $4.29

6.29%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.15 $4.15

-2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$12.79 $12.79

-5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.06 $11.06

19.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$17.30 $17.30

16.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$4.86 $4.86

-16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.63 $1.63

-12.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.33 $4.33

-8.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$5.11 $5.11

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.86 $2.86

-7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$3.11 $3.11

-9.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.19 $2.19

13.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.36 $2.36

-32.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$9.86 $9.86

55.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.18 $15.18

-5.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.18 $2.18

17.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.27 $3.27

-11.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.04 $2.04

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.96 $2.96

-10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.72 $1.72

-5.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$28.84 $28.84

10.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.02 $1.02

39.22%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$24.5K $24.5K

10.56%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

-18.63%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$197 $197

-58.70%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$58.6 $58.6

-36.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$69.8 $69.8

-24.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$41.05 $41.05

8.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$13.61 $13.61

-7.27%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,378 $1,378

-20.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

-18.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$53.9 $53.9

8.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$40.96 $40.96

-18.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$88.0 $88.0

9.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$114 $114

-15.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,575 $1,575

12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,321 $1,321

14.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,467 $2,467

26.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,142 $2,142

15.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,692 $2,692

203.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,334 $2,334

172.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.57

-34.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Belfast, ME: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Belfast, ME

$1.3K 51% 12.4% $188

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Belfast, ME

$400 15.5% 0.4% $1.6

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Belfast, ME

$322 12.4% 14.8% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Belfast, ME

$325 12.6% 90.1% $154

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Belfast, ME

$133 5.2% 4.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Belfast, ME

$20 * 0.8% 81.3% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Belfast, ME

$68 2.6% 1.9% $1.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,575 in Belfast, ME. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver versus $75.0 in Belfast, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $400 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Belfast, ME

🕒 Local time

16:12 4:12 PM

19:12 7:12 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

6,800

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Vancouver Belfast, ME 4,060 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Belfast, ME

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 Belfast, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $3,884 in Belfast, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Belfast, ME, 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 $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,590 in Belfast, ME. That's a gap of about 3%.

Kindergarten costs $1,093 per month in Vancouver and $1,378 in Belfast, ME. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,500 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,590 in Belfast, ME. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Belfast, ME – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Belfast, ME. 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.