Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Burnaby

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Burnaby: $2,725 and $2,678 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Burnaby
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Burnaby Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Burnaby

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,678

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Burnaby

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,678 in Burnaby.

Vancouver $2,725
Burnaby $2,678

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,827 in Burnaby.

Vancouver $4,039
Burnaby $3,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,976 in Burnaby.

Vancouver $5,352
Burnaby $4,976

Monthly costs are close between Vancouver and Burnaby; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Burnaby 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.77

$21.23 CA$29.79

-16.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$86.5 CA$121

-16.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.21

$9.53 CA$13.37

13.75%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.49

$4.67 CA$6.56

-16.27%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.45 CA$3.44

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.80 CA$2.52

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$8.57 CA$12.03

-33.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.93

$6.18 CA$8.67

2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$2.34 CA$3.28

-5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.76 CA$3.88

-4.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.56

$3.52 CA$4.95

32.95%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.17 CA$4.45

33.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.73

$14.05 CA$19.72

-15.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.42

$14.07 CA$19.75

-6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.63

$25.31 CA$35.52

-19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$4.42 CA$6.20

-7.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.28 CA$1.80

7.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$4.61 CA$6.47

-16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$4.61 CA$6.48

-14.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.81 CA$3.95

-1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$3.54 CA$4.96

-19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.74 CA$3.84

-5.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.10 CA$2.95

-24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.27

$14.23 CA$19.96

11.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.64

$13.39 CA$18.79

4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.05 CA$2.88

25.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$2.33 CA$3.27

29.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.54 CA$3.56

0.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$81.6 CA$115

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$2.88 CA$4.04

-7.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.51 CA$2.12

4.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.17

$26.45 CA$37.12

21.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.37 CA$1.92

5.84%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$28.5K CA$40.1K

-3.71%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

$20.9K CA$29.4K

1.81%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$126 CA$177

-34.68%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$44.96 CA$63.1

-16.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.5

$52.7 CA$74.0

-1.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$31.23 CA$43.83

29.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.81

$10.52 CA$14.77

20.63%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.77

$14.23 CA$19.97

-11.03%

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

$1,080 CA$1,515

$649 CA$910

66.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.0

$52.2 CA$73.3

11.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.85

$51.4 CA$72.1

-33.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$103 CA$145

-6.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$79.0 CA$111

23.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,545

$1,693 CA$2,376

7.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,211

$1,406 CA$1,973

12.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,514

$2,623 CA$3,681

22.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,721

$1,985 CA$2,786

33.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

$6,886 CA$9,663

24.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,331

$5,338 CA$7,491

24.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,239

$3,149 CA$4,419

18.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.76

-10.08%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Burnaby

$1.4K 52.5% 10.8% $170

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Burnaby

$431 16.1% 7.5% $30

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Burnaby

$327 12.2% 17.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Burnaby

$224 8.4% 30.5% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Burnaby

$129 4.8% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Burnaby

$102 3.8% 2.6% $2.7

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Burnaby

$60 2.2% 9.3% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $87 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $431 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Burnaby

🕒 Local time

14:34 2:34 PM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

249,125

💱 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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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 Burnaby: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,693 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Burnaby runs roughly 3% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Vancouver pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Burnaby gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Burnaby is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Burnaby wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.