Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Burnaby Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Burnaby

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,783 in Vancouver versus $2,869 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,030 in Vancouver versus $4,015 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,278 in Vancouver versus $5,160 in Burnaby.

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 3% less than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 102% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 CA$24.95

$21.82 CA$30.27

-17.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.9 CA$101

$87.5 CA$121

-16.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 CA$14.92

$9.54 CA$13.24

12.79%

Cappuccino

$4.17 CA$5.79

$4.81 CA$6.67

-13.31%

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

$2.20 CA$3.05

$2.35 CA$3.27

-6.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.37

$1.80 CA$2.50

-5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.19

$7.19 CA$9.98

-17.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 CA$9.24

$6.10 CA$8.46

9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.04

$2.40 CA$3.33

-8.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CA$3.69

$2.92 CA$4.05

-8.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.14

$3.60 CA$4.99

23.06%

Eggs

$4.20 CA$5.83

$3.30 CA$4.58

27.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 CA$16.47

$14.34 CA$19.89

-17.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 CA$18.95

$14.01 CA$19.43

-2.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 CA$28.18

$25.31 CA$35.10

-19.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.88

$4.56 CA$6.33

-7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.30 CA$1.81

6.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.61

$4.65 CA$6.45

-12.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.58

$4.59 CA$6.36

-12.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.97

$2.90 CA$4.02

-1.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.15

$3.60 CA$4.99

-16.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$2.83 CA$3.93

-6.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.29

$2.17 CA$3.01

-23.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.92 CA$22.07

$14.60 CA$20.25

9.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.29

$13.78 CA$19.11

6.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.86

$2.10 CA$2.91

32.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.25

$2.38 CA$3.30

28.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.56

$2.46 CA$3.42

4.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 CA$115

$80.9 CA$112

2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.74

$2.98 CA$4.13

-9.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.26

$1.47 CA$2.04

10.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 CA$45.33

$26.88 CA$37.28

21.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CA$2.00

$1.33 CA$1.84

8.27%

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

$28.4K CA$39.4K

$28.3K CA$39.2K

0.53%

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

$19.5K CA$27.1K

$19.7K CA$27.3K

-0.70%

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

$79.2 CA$110

$125 CA$173

-36.45%

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

$36.21 CA$50.2

$44.12 CA$61.2

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 CA$71.2

$54.1 CA$75.0

-5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 CA$60.4

$31.15 CA$43.20

39.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 CA$18.25

$10.89 CA$15.11

20.84%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 CA$16.44

$14.55 CA$20.18

-18.56%

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

$1,131 CA$1,568

$667 CA$925

69.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K CA$27.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 CA$83.2

$53.3 CA$73.9

12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.84 CA$48.32

$52.5 CA$72.8

-33.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 CA$125

$105 CA$146

-14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 CA$130

$80.1 CA$111

16.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 CA$2,505

$1,690 CA$2,344

6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 CA$2,193

$1,550 CA$2,149

2.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,182 CA$4,413

$2,476 CA$3,434

28.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 CA$3,418

$2,189 CA$3,036

12.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,841 CA$12.3K

$6,866 CA$9,523

28.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,963 CA$9,657

$5,585 CA$7,746

24.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,738 CA$5,184

$3,162 CA$4,386

18.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.76

-11.55%

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

Last update for Vancouver: September 7, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,806 in Vancouver and $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Vancouver vs $88.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $438 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

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

Vancouver and Burnaby differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,783 vs $2,869 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,806 in Vancouver versus $1,690 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,131 in Vancouver versus $667 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Burnaby. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Burnaby. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.