Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Coquitlam

For one person, living is cheaper in Coquitlam: $2,586 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Coquitlam
Learn more

Coquitlam Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Coquitlam

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,586

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Coquitlam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,586 in Coquitlam.

Vancouver $2,725
Coquitlam $2,586

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,784 in Coquitlam.

Vancouver $4,039
Coquitlam $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,983 in Coquitlam.

Vancouver $5,352
Coquitlam $4,983

Living in Vancouver is roughly 5% more expensive than in Coquitlam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Coquitlam 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.67

$16.62 CA$23.23

6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$72.0 CA$101

0.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.15

$10.68 CA$14.93

1.50%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.93 CA$5.49

-0.51%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.14 CA$2.99

-1.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.68 CA$2.35

-2.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.59 CA$7.81

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$6.49 CA$9.07

-2.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.40 CA$1.96

57.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.68 CA$3.74

-1.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$2.67 CA$3.73

75.28%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.84 CA$5.37

10.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.67

$10.04 CA$14.03

18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$13.23 CA$18.49

-0.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$20.27 CA$28.33

0.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$4.00 CA$5.59

2.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.36 CA$1.90

1.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$3.68 CA$5.15

4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$3.45 CA$4.83

13.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$1.09 CA$1.52

154.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.82 CA$3.94

0.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.63 CA$3.67

-1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.05 CA$1.47

51.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$15.79 CA$22.07

0.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$12.36 CA$17.27

13.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.59 CA$3.61

-0.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.03 CA$4.24

-0.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.29 CA$3.20

11.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$79.0 CA$110

6.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.74 CA$3.83

-2.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.36 CA$1.90

16.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.99

$24.25 CA$33.89

32.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.37 CA$1.92

5.84%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$25.9K CA$36.2K

5.98%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$21.5K CA$30.1K

-1.00%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$83.3 CA$116

-0.98%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$32.46 CA$45.37

15.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$51.7 CA$72.3

-0.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$14.10 CA$19.71

187.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$10.56 CA$14.76

20.17%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.70

$10.62 CA$14.84

19.21%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$388 CA$543

177.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$11.6K CA$16.3K

73.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.66

$34.10 CA$47.67

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$94.8 CA$132

2.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$94.4 CA$132

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,814 CA$2,536

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$1,530 CA$2,138

2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,496

$3,333 CA$4,658

-3.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,706

$2,485 CA$3,472

6.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$6,088 CA$8,509

41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,293

$4,998 CA$6,986

33.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,217

$3,143 CA$4,393

18.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Coquitlam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Coquitlam

$1.5K 59.2% 2.9% $46

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Coquitlam

$360 13.9% 10.3% $41

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Coquitlam

$268 10.4% 3.1% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Coquitlam

$167 6.5% 2.4% $4.1

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Coquitlam

$127 4.9% 1.8% $2.3

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Coquitlam

$98 3.8% 6.9% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Coquitlam

$35 1.4% 46.3% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $72 in Coquitlam. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $360, with Coquitlam cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Coquitlam

🕒 Local time

11:25 11:25 AM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

148,625

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Coquitlam 23 km

From you

Vancouver
Coquitlam

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 Coquitlam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Coquitlam is about 5% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,814 in Coquitlam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,080 in Vancouver versus $388 in Coquitlam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Coquitlam runs roughly 6% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Coquitlam is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Coquitlam wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.