Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Cambridge Bay

For one person, living is cheaper in Cambridge Bay: $2,251 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge Bay
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Cambridge Bay Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Cambridge Bay

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Cambridge Bay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,251 in Cambridge Bay.

Vancouver $2,725
Cambridge Bay $2,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,293 in Cambridge Bay.

Vancouver $4,039
Cambridge Bay $3,293

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,335 in Cambridge Bay.

Vancouver $5,352
Cambridge Bay $4,335

Living in Vancouver is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cambridge Bay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Cambridge Bay 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.68

$22.62 CA$31.64

-21.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$65.0 CA$90.9

11.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$11.52 CA$16.11

-5.90%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.80 CA$5.32

2.89%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.00 CA$2.80

5.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.61 CA$2.26

1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.03

$4.79 CA$6.69

19.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.90

$4.96 CA$6.94

28.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.11 CA$2.95

4.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.52 CA$3.53

4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$2.99 CA$4.19

56.52%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.93

$3.42 CA$4.79

23.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.68

$9.98 CA$13.95

19.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.35

$12.86 CA$17.98

2.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.53

$13.94 CA$19.50

46.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$3.76 CA$5.26

9.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.32 CA$1.85

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$3.15 CA$4.40

21.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$3.84 CA$5.37

2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.72 CA$3.80

1.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.22 CA$3.10

27.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.67 CA$3.74

-2.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.74 CA$2.43

-8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.19

$14.67 CA$20.52

8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$14.54 CA$20.33

-3.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.41 CA$3.37

6.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.22

$2.79 CA$3.90

7.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.32 CA$3.25

9.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$64.0 CA$89.5

31.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.00 CA$4.19

-11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.46 CA$2.04

8.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.02

$20.90 CA$29.23

54.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.17 CA$1.64

23.93%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$26.3K CA$36.8K

4.38%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$18.6K CA$26.0K

14.71%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$129 CA$181

-36.13%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$38.55 CA$53.9

-2.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.3

$54.1 CA$75.7

-4.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.7

$42.99 CA$60.1

-5.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.75

$16.17 CA$22.61

-21.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.71

$9.48 CA$13.26

33.54%

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

$1,080 CA$1,510

$558 CA$781

93.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$14.9K CA$20.8K

35.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.8

$52.0 CA$72.8

12.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.69

$42.63 CA$59.6

-20.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$79.4 CA$111

22.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$92.6 CA$129

5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,536

$1,153 CA$1,613

57.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,204

$1,097 CA$1,534

43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,499

$1,867 CA$2,611

72.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,708

$1,722 CA$2,408

54.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,906 CA$6,862

75.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,300

$3,094 CA$4,327

114.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,221

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.68

-8.55%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cambridge Bay: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Cambridge Bay

$1.1K 48.7% 30.4% $479

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Cambridge Bay

$357 15.9% 10.9% $44

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Cambridge Bay

$310 13.8% 11.7% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Cambridge Bay

$222 9.9% 29.3% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Cambridge Bay

$120 5.3% 7.1% $9.1

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Cambridge Bay

$84 3.7% 20.4% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Cambridge Bay

$62 2.8% 5.9% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,153 in Cambridge Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $65 in Cambridge Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $357 per month, with Cambridge Bay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Cambridge Bay

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

1,800

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Cambridge Bay 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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 Cambridge Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,251 in Cambridge Bay, so Cambridge Bay is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $4,087 in Vancouver and $3,376 in Cambridge Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,153 in Cambridge Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,251 in Cambridge Bay – Cambridge Bay is about 17% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cambridge Bay runs roughly 24% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

For families, Cambridge Bay 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.

Expats usually find Cambridge Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.