Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Bristol, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bristol, VA: $2,038 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Bristol, VA
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Bristol, VA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Bristol, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Bristol, VA

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 Bristol, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,038 in Bristol, VA.

Vancouver $2,662
Bristol, VA $2,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,040 in Bristol, VA.

Vancouver $3,916
Bristol, VA $3,040

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $4,041 in Bristol, VA.

Vancouver $5,170
Bristol, VA $4,041

Living in Vancouver is roughly 31% more expensive than in Bristol, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Bristol, VA 50% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.76 $17.76

1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$63.9 $63.9

11.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.82 $10.82

0.09%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$4.03 $4.03

-2.23%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.93 $1.93

10.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.76 $1.76

-5.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$4.59 $4.59

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.90 $5.90

8.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$0.96 $0.96

123.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$4.00 $4.00

-36.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.33 $3.33

36.94%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.69 $3.69

10.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$16.25 $16.25

-25.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$15.92 $15.92

-16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$18.05 $18.05

12.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$5.22 $5.22

-22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.27 $1.27

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.70 $4.70

-15.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.59 $4.59

-14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$3.84 $3.84

-31.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.90 $2.90

-2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.00 $2.00

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.34 $2.34

-32.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$8.54 $8.54

79.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.55 $15.55

-7.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.45 $2.45

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.67 $3.67

-20.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.05 $3.05

-13.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.91 $1.91

-14.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$29.46 $29.46

7.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$0.89 $0.89

59.55%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$34.5K $34.5K

-21.42%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$25.4K $25.4K

-14.96%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$171 $171

-52.52%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$67.4 $67.4

-44.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$70.5 $70.5

-25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$31.37 $31.37

41.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$15.98 $15.98

-21.03%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,465 $1,465

-25.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$24.8K $24.8K

-19.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$50.7 $50.7

15.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$36.93 $36.93

-9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$65.5 $65.5

47.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$90.6 $90.6

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,107 $1,107

59.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$831 $831

81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,786 $1,786

74.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,389 $1,389

77.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$1,788 $1,788

357.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$1,800 $1,800

252.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,025 $3,025

18.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.48

-33.95%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Bristol, VA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Bristol, VA

$831 40.8% 44.9% $677

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Bristol, VA

$440 21.6% 10.2% $41

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Bristol, VA

$272 13.4% 2.8% $7.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Bristol, VA

$309 15.2% 80.7% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Bristol, VA

$110 5.4% 14.1% $18

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Bristol, VA

$13 * 0.6% 88.1% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Bristol, VA

$63 3.1% 9% $6.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 19% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $64.0 in Bristol, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $440, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Bristol, VA

🕒 Local time

10:50 10:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

17,141

💱 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

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Between locations

Vancouver Bristol, VA 3,560 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Bristol, VA

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 Bristol, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Bristol, VA differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,662 vs $2,038 including rent). Bristol, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,107 in Bristol, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $1,465 in Bristol, VA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bristol, VA – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $71.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,038 in Bristol, VA versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bristol, VA but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Bristol, VA 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.

Expats usually find Bristol, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.