Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Brandon, MB

For one person, living is cheaper in Brandon, MB: $1,622 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver, Canada
Brandon, MB, Canada
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,725
/mo nomad
Brandon, MB
🇨🇦 Canada
$1,622
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $1,622 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

  • Vancouver $2,725
  • Brandon, MB $1,622

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $2,588 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

  • Vancouver $4,039
  • Brandon, MB $2,588

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $3,555 in Brandon, MB, rent included.

  • Vancouver $5,352
  • Brandon, MB $3,555

Vancouver costs about 68% more than Brandon, MB, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Brandon, MB sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Brandon, MB by 19%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 CA$24.68
$14.30 CA$20.01
23.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 CA$101
$64.9 CA$90.8
11.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.84 CA$15.16
$10.61 CA$14.84
2.17%
Cappuccino
$3.91 CA$5.47
$3.15 CA$4.40
24.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.94
$1.81 CA$2.53
16.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.29
$1.65 CA$2.31
-0.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.03
$4.20 CA$5.87
36.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.36 CA$8.90
$5.33 CA$7.46
19.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 CA$3.09
$1.46 CA$2.04
51.37%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 CA$3.70
$1.98 CA$2.77
33.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.68 CA$6.54
$3.20 CA$4.48
46.25%
Eggs
$4.24 CA$5.93
$3.05 CA$4.27
39.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.92 CA$16.68
$9.60 CA$13.42
24.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.12 CA$18.35
$10.64 CA$14.89
23.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.40 CA$28.53
$16.28 CA$22.77
25.31%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 CA$5.74
$3.28 CA$4.59
25.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.93
$1.35 CA$1.89
2.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.83 CA$5.36
$3.44 CA$4.82
11.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 CA$5.48
$3.21 CA$4.50
22.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 CA$3.88
$2.28 CA$3.19
21.49%
Onion (1kg)
$2.84 CA$3.97
$2.63 CA$3.68
7.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.60 CA$3.64
$2.48 CA$3.46
4.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 CA$2.23
$1.28 CA$1.80
24.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.87 CA$22.19
$15.17 CA$21.22
4.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.00 CA$19.58
$12.22 CA$17.09
14.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.60
$2.40 CA$3.35
7.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 CA$4.22
$2.20 CA$3.07
36.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$1.33 CA$1.86
91.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.1 CA$118
$68.8 CA$96.2
22.30%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 CA$3.73
$2.86 CA$3.99
-6.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 CA$2.22
$1.33 CA$1.86
18.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.19 CA$45.02
$24.08 CA$33.68
33.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$1.04 CA$1.45
39.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.4K
$26.8K CA$37.4K
2.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K CA$29.8K
$20.6K CA$28.9K
3.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.5 CA$115
$163 CA$228
-49.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.46 CA$52.4
$34.19 CA$47.82
9.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 CA$72.3
$48.55 CA$67.9
6.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.52 CA$56.7
$42.73 CA$59.8
-5.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.69 CA$17.75
$16.36 CA$22.88
-22.43%
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 CA$17.71
$10.61 CA$14.84
19.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,080 CA$1,510
$1,009 CA$1,411
7.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K CA$28.2K
$18.4K CA$25.8K
9.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$81.8
$43.86 CA$61.3
33.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.10 CA$47.69
$42.65 CA$59.7
-20.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 CA$136
$69.8 CA$97.6
38.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.4 CA$136
$85.8 CA$120
13.53%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,813 CA$2,536
$798 CA$1,116
127.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 CA$2,204
$568 CA$794
177.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,217 CA$4,499
$1,387 CA$1,940
131.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,651 CA$3,708
$1,191 CA$1,666
122.61%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,590 CA$12.0K
$2,308 CA$3,229
272.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,649 CA$9,300
$2,300 CA$3,217
189.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Brandon, MB
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,733 CA$5,221
$2,504 CA$3,502
49.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
4.45
-3.82%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Brandon, MB: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.6K
Brandon, MB
$568 64% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$401
Brandon, MB
$323 19.5% $78
Eating Out
Vancouver
$277
Brandon, MB
$230 17.1% $48
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$172
Brandon, MB
$246 43.1% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$129
Brandon, MB
$109 15.6% $20
Getting Around
Vancouver
$105
Brandon, MB
$84 20.3% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$66
Brandon, MB
$64 2.9% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $798 in Brandon, MB. 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 49% 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 $72 in Vancouver versus $65 in Brandon, MB. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $323 – making Brandon, MB the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇦 Brandon, MB
🕒 Local time
03:21 3:21 AM
05:21 5:21 AM
2 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
46,061
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Brandon, MB 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Brandon, MB

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 Brandon, MB: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brandon, MB cheaper than Vancouver?
Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $2,433 in Brandon, MB. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Brandon, MB, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $798 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.
How do food prices compare in Vancouver and in Brandon, MB?
Groceries cost about 24% more in Vancouver, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Vancouver or in Brandon, MB?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver and $65 in Brandon, MB. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Vancouver or in Brandon, MB?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brandon, MB, where all-in costs run around $1,622, than in Vancouver at $2,725. In Brandon, MB it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Vancouver or Brandon, MB more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Brandon, MB – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Brandon, MB. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Vancouver vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?