Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Cambridge, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $4,506 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
216

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,506

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Cambridge, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $4,506 in Cambridge, MA.

Vancouver $2,626
Cambridge, MA $4,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $5,767 in Cambridge, MA.

Vancouver $3,841
Cambridge, MA $5,767

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $7,029 in Cambridge, MA.

Vancouver $5,056
Cambridge, MA $7,029

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 42% less than in Cambridge, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Cambridge, MA 234% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$19.88 $19.88

-13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$99.2 $99.2

-30.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$12.19 $12.19

-12.96%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.20 $5.20

-26.35%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$3.17 $3.17

-35.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.33 $2.33

-29.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$8.13 $8.13

-31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$7.97 $7.97

-22.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.17 $1.17

82.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$4.54 $4.54

-44.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$6.97 $6.97

-35.58%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.91 $4.91

-16.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$15.35 $15.35

-23.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$15.08 $15.08

-13.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$19.19 $19.19

1.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$6.46 $6.46

-38.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.72 $1.72

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$5.92 $5.92

-34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$7.33 $7.33

-46.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.38 $4.38

-37.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.81 $3.81

-24.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$3.00 $3.00

-18.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.57 $2.57

-39.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$12.66 $12.66

22.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$15.72 $15.72

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.96 $1.96

34.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$5.41 $5.41

-46.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.50 $2.50

-0.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$91.0 $91.0

-8.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.05 $2.05

32.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.51 $1.51

4.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$10.82 $10.82

186.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.07 $1.07

28.04%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$36.7K $36.7K

-24.72%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

-22.99%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$227 $227

-63.74%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$54.4 $54.4

-31.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$78.4 $78.4

-34.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$74.3 $74.3

-42.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$30.56 $30.56

-59.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$14.78 $14.78

-17.93%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$2,847 $2,847

-61.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$35.9K $35.9K

-44.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$76.4 $76.4

-26.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$51.3 $51.3

-34.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$103 $103

-8.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$138 $138

-31.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$3,392 $3,392

-47.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$2,926 $2,926

-48.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$5,218 $5,218

-40.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$3,459 $3,459

-30.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$4,990 $4,990

61.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$5,067 $5,067

27.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$6,239 $6,239

-39.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.5

-34.15%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Cambridge, MA

$2.9K 64.9% 95.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Cambridge, MA

$502 11.2% 28% $110

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Cambridge, MA

$337 7.5% 24.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Cambridge, MA

$360 8% 110% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Cambridge, MA

$166 3.7% 32.7% $41

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.5% 6.8% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.3% 54.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $3,392 in Cambridge, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 65% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $99.0 in Cambridge, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $502 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🕒 Local time

10:39 10:39 AM

13:39 1:39 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

105,162

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Vancouver Cambridge, MA 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Cambridge, MA

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, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Cambridge, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Cambridge, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $3,392 in Cambridge, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $99.0 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 work as nomad bases, but Vancouver delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,626 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Vancouver hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Cambridge, MA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.