Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Campbell River

For one person, living is cheaper in Campbell River: $2,387 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver, Canada
Campbell River, Canada
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,725
/mo nomad
Campbell River
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Campbell River

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,387 in Campbell River.

  • Vancouver $2,725
  • Campbell River $2,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,509 in Campbell River.

  • Vancouver $4,039
  • Campbell River $3,509

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,631 in Campbell River.

  • Vancouver $5,352
  • Campbell River $4,631

Living in Vancouver is roughly 14% more expensive than in Campbell River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Campbell River 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 CA$24.66
$19.49 CA$27.23
-9.44%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 CA$101
$72.2 CA$101
0.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.84 CA$15.14
$10.79 CA$15.08
0.46%
Cappuccino
$3.91 CA$5.47
$4.37 CA$6.11
-10.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.94
$2.30 CA$3.21
-8.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.29
$0.97 CA$1.35
69.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.02
$5.75 CA$8.03
-0.17%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.36 CA$8.89
$6.30 CA$8.80
0.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 CA$3.09
$2.79 CA$3.90
-20.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 CA$3.69
$2.98 CA$4.16
-11.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.68 CA$6.53
$4.07 CA$5.68
14.99%
Eggs
$4.24 CA$5.92
$4.30 CA$6.01
-1.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.92 CA$16.66
$8.36 CA$11.67
42.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.12 CA$18.33
$9.75 CA$13.62
34.56%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.40 CA$28.50
$14.64 CA$20.46
39.34%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 CA$5.73
$3.13 CA$4.37
30.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.92
$1.46 CA$2.04
-5.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.83 CA$5.35
$3.47 CA$4.84
10.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 CA$5.47
$3.55 CA$4.96
10.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 CA$3.88
$3.59 CA$5.01
-22.84%
Onion (1kg)
$2.84 CA$3.96
$2.80 CA$3.91
1.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.60 CA$3.63
$3.25 CA$4.54
-20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 CA$2.22
$2.57 CA$3.59
-38.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.87 CA$22.17
$15.12 CA$21.12
4.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.00 CA$19.55
$18.18 CA$25.41
-22.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$4.00 CA$5.58
-35.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 CA$4.21
$3.54 CA$4.95
-14.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$1.39 CA$1.94
83.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.1 CA$118
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 CA$3.73
$2.72 CA$3.80
-1.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.57 CA$2.20
0.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.19 CA$44.97
$34.74 CA$48.53
-7.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$1.29 CA$1.80
12.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.4K
$28.2K CA$39.3K
-2.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K CA$29.8K
$21.4K CA$29.9K
-0.37%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.5 CA$115
$53.2 CA$74.4
54.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.46 CA$52.3
$43.75 CA$61.1
-14.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 CA$72.2
$61.3 CA$85.6
-15.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.52 CA$56.6
$46.64 CA$65.2
-13.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.69 CA$17.73
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 CA$17.69
$10.72 CA$14.97
18.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,080 CA$1,508
$890 CA$1,244
21.31%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K CA$28.1K
$23.7K CA$33.1K
-14.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$81.7
$44.31 CA$61.9
31.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.10 CA$47.64
$44.23 CA$61.8
-22.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 CA$135
$71.0 CA$99.3
36.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.4 CA$136
$92.1 CA$129
5.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,813 CA$2,533
$1,482 CA$2,071
22.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 CA$2,201
$1,347 CA$1,883
16.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,217 CA$4,494
$2,236 CA$3,124
43.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,651 CA$3,704
$2,179 CA$3,044
21.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,590 CA$12.0K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,649 CA$9,289
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Campbell River
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,733 CA$5,215
$2,313 CA$3,232
61.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
4.31
-0.70%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Campbell River: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.6K
Campbell River
$1.3K 14.5% $228
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$401
Campbell River
$389 3.1% $12
Eating Out
Vancouver
$277
Campbell River
$295 6.5% $18
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$172
Campbell River
$158 7.8% $13
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$129
Campbell River
$113 12.3% $16
Getting Around
Vancouver
$105
Campbell River
$16 * 84.6% $89
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$66
Campbell River
$68 3.4% $2.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,482 in Campbell River. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $72 in Campbell River. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $389, with Campbell River cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇦 Campbell River
🕒 Local time
07:26 7:26 AM
07:26 7:26 AM
Same time as Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
36,455
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
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  • Vancouver Campbell River 180 km
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 Campbell River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Vancouver or Campbell River?
Campbell River wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Campbell River the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Vancouver or in Campbell River?
Average pay runs 61% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Vancouver compared to Campbell River?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,482 in Campbell River. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Vancouver compared to Campbell River?
All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,387 in Campbell River – Campbell River is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Are groceries more expensive in Vancouver or in Campbell River?
Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Vancouver or in Campbell River?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Campbell River is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Campbell River 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.
Should I move to Vancouver or to Campbell River?
It comes down to priorities – Campbell River wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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