Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Canada

Name: Canada
Address: CA

For one person, living is cheaper on average across Canada: $2,305 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,305

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Canada

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

Living in Vancouver costs $2,684 per month compared to the Canada average of $2,305 – that's 16% above the national norm.

Vancouver $2,684
Canada $2,305

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$17.69 CA$25.22

-2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$70.6 CA$101

-2.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$10.71 CA$15.27

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$3.72 CA$5.30

4.57%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.07 CA$2.95

-0.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.66 CA$2.36

-2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$5.69 CA$8.11

-2.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$5.76 CA$8.20

9.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$2.13 CA$3.04

8.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$2.68 CA$3.82

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$3.60 CA$5.13

23.33%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$3.51 CA$5.00

15.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$10.72 CA$15.29

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$11.91 CA$16.98

12.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$15.29 CA$21.80

31.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$3.98 CA$5.68

2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.36 CA$1.94

-2.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$3.84 CA$5.47

1.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$4.06 CA$5.78

-0.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.56 CA$3.65

6.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$2.42 CA$3.45

19.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.57 CA$3.66

-1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.69 CA$2.41

-4.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$13.94 CA$19.86

11.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$13.26 CA$18.90

5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.86 CA$4.07

-5.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$3.26 CA$4.64

-8.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.41 CA$3.44

1.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$71.8 CA$102

16.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$3.05 CA$4.35

-11.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.44 CA$2.05

9.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$26.68 CA$38.02

17.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.17 CA$1.67

17.95%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$27.7K CA$39.5K

1.26%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$19.4K CA$27.7K

1.97%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$147 CA$210

-44.88%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$41.33 CA$58.9

-9.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$57.9 CA$82.5

-11.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$40.41 CA$57.6

7.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$19.23 CA$27.40

-34.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$11.07 CA$15.78

13.28%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$757 CA$1,079

44.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$14.3K CA$20.3K

39.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$54.2 CA$77.3

5.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$39.79 CA$56.7

-17.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$87.6 CA$125

5.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$101 CA$144

-6.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,278 CA$1,822

36.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,107 CA$1,578

34.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,035 CA$2,901

47.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$1,741 CA$2,481

39.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$4,611 CA$6,572

73.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$3,822 CA$5,448

68.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$2,975 CA$4,240

27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.87

-12.11%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Canada: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Canada

$1.1K 48.6% 25.4% $377

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Canada

$368 16.2% 7.6% $30

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Canada

$273 12% 0.5% $1.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Canada

$246 10.8% 45% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Canada

$127 5.6% 2.2% $2.7

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Canada

$92 4% 11.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Canada

$63 2.8% 8.8% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom in Vancouver costs $1,745 versus the national average of $1,193.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

🕒 Local time

23:18 11:18 PM

02:18 2:18 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

36,991,981

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Canada 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Canada: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $2,684 monthly, Vancouver is 16% more expensive than the Canada average of $2,305. You pay a premium for the amenities and job market, though similar quality of life costs less in regional cities.

What sets Vancouver apart from other Canada cities is fast internet – though costs run 16% above the national norm. Whether that premium is worth it depends on how much those qualities matter to you.

Housing in Vancouver costs $2,684 monthly, 16% more than the Canada average. The premium reflects economic opportunity and better amenities, but it makes housing the biggest budget challenge for residents.

Outside of Vancouver, $3,000 stretches further across Canada. Costs in Vancouver itself run $2,684 monthly, leaving less wiggle room. Weigh the city's specific benefits against the tighter finances before committing.