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: $2,906 in Vancouver versus $2,777 in Burnaby.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,209 in Vancouver versus $4,049 in Burnaby.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Vancouver versus $5,321 in Burnaby.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 5% more expensive than in Burnaby, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 118% above, Burnaby 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CA$26.20

$14.84 CA$20.88

25.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$110

$74.8 CA$105

4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.26

$9.25 CA$13.02

17.19%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.53

$4.24 CA$5.97

-7.31%

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

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.80 CA$2.53

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$1.34 CA$1.89

30.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.51

$5.95 CA$8.37

1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CA$10.27

$5.67 CA$7.98

28.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$2.50 CA$3.52

-8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$2.75 CA$3.87

11.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.30

$4.66 CA$6.55

-19.10%

Eggs

$4.32 CA$6.08

$3.27 CA$4.60

32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.69

$12.46 CA$17.54

0.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.34

$11.71 CA$16.47

17.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CA$22.49

$21.40 CA$30.12

-25.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$6.00

$3.36 CA$4.72

26.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.33 CA$1.88

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.52

$3.03 CA$4.27

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.15

$3.85 CA$5.42

31.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.91 CA$4.10

9.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$3.07 CA$4.32

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.47 CA$3.48

5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.91 CA$2.68

-1.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.74

$14.81 CA$20.84

4.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 CA$20.95

$12.95 CA$18.22

14.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$2.49 CA$3.50

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 CA$5.35

$2.55 CA$3.58

49.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.40

$2.27 CA$3.19

6.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$77.6 CA$109

6.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.28

$2.73 CA$3.85

37.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.35 CA$1.90

9.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 CA$37.95

$26.16 CA$36.82

3.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.37 CA$1.93

-5.11%

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

$25.2K CA$35.4K

$25.4K CA$35.7K

-0.66%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$20.1K CA$28.3K

2.08%

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

$91.8 CA$129

$136 CA$192

-32.58%

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

$39.34 CA$55.4

$41.79 CA$58.8

-5.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$85.3

$54.8 CA$77.1

10.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.58 CA$62.7

$31.21 CA$43.91

42.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 CA$22.35

$5.36 CA$7.54

196.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.13

$16.13 CA$22.70

-24.49%

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

$1,185 CA$1,667

$534 CA$752

121.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$26.1K

$8,169 CA$11.5K

126.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$87.9

$54.8 CA$77.1

13.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 CA$59.6

$53.8 CA$75.7

-21.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$134

$94.3 CA$133

0.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$162

$94.6 CA$133

21.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CA$2,785

$1,884 CA$2,651

5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 CA$2,313

$1,650 CA$2,321

-0.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,577 CA$5,033

$4,117 CA$5,793

-13.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 CA$3,915

$2,678 CA$3,768

3.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,754 CA$12.3K

$6,680 CA$9,400

31.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 CA$9,972

$5,538 CA$7,792

27.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 CA$4,756

$3,116 CA$4,385

8.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.54

-14.22%

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

Last update for Vancouver: July 14, 2026

Last update for Burnaby: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Vancouver and $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 8% 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: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $75.0 in Burnaby for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $392 per month, with Burnaby 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 5% in total monthly costs ($2,906 vs $2,777 including rent). Burnaby is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,979 in Vancouver versus $1,884 in Burnaby. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Vancouver versus $534 in Burnaby. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Burnaby 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 Burnaby gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.