Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Dartmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Dartmouth: $1,993 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Dartmouth
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Dartmouth Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Dartmouth

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,993

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Dartmouth

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Vancouver vs $1,993 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Vancouver $2,626
Dartmouth $1,993

A couple spends around $3,841 per month in Vancouver vs $2,990 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Vancouver $3,841
Dartmouth $2,990

A family of three spends $5,056 per month in Vancouver vs $3,987 in Dartmouth, rent included.

Vancouver $5,056
Dartmouth $3,987

Vancouver costs about 32% more than Dartmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vancouver and Dartmouth sit above the global median – Vancouver by 95%, Dartmouth by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$10.55 CA$14.91

62.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$58.5 CA$82.7

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$6.96 CA$9.84

52.44%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.56 CA$5.04

7.58%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.00 CA$2.82

2.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.88 CA$2.66

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$4.45 CA$6.30

24.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$5.70 CA$8.05

8.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$2.38 CA$3.36

-10.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$2.04 CA$2.89

23.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$3.31 CA$4.68

35.65%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.49 CA$4.93

17.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$7.64 CA$10.80

53.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$9.18 CA$12.98

42.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$10.37 CA$14.65

88.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$3.38 CA$4.78

18.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.52 CA$2.15

-9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$4.47 CA$6.32

-13.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$5.75 CA$8.12

-31.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.03 CA$2.86

33.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.11 CA$2.98

35.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.48 CA$3.51

-0.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.13 CA$3.01

-26.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$13.95 CA$19.72

10.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$14.17 CA$20.03

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$3.35 CA$4.74

-21.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.87 CA$5.47

-25.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.97 CA$2.78

25.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$59.6 CA$84.2

39.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.76 CA$3.90

-1.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.32 CA$1.86

19.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$21.34 CA$30.17

45.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.12 CA$1.58

22.32%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$28.0K CA$39.5K

-1.13%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$18.9K CA$26.7K

4.12%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$77.5 CA$109

6.49%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$41.92 CA$59.3

-11.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$63.3 CA$89.5

-18.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$35.19 CA$49.75

21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$12.41 CA$17.54

-2.26%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$373 CA$527

195.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$13.2K CA$18.7K

50.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$39.41 CA$55.7

43.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$33.13 CA$46.84

0.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$66.7 CA$94.3

40.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$74.6 CA$105

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,215 CA$1,717

46.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,037 CA$1,466

44.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$1,956 CA$2,765

57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,818 CA$2,570

32.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$2,539 CA$3,589

48.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.6

-6.96%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Dartmouth: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Dartmouth

$1K 52.1% 30.7% $459

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Dartmouth

$343 17.2% 12.7% $50

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Dartmouth

$197 9.9% 27% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Dartmouth

$183 9.2% 6.5% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Dartmouth

$96 4.8% 22.9% $29

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Dartmouth

$77 3.9% 25.9% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Dartmouth

$60 3% 10.6% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,215 in Dartmouth. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 49% higher in Vancouver, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $58.0 in Dartmouth. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $343 – making Dartmouth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Dartmouth

🕒 Local time

03:06 3:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

4 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

70,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Dartmouth 4,430 km ≈ 6 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 Dartmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver, $1,993 in Dartmouth – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,939 per month in Vancouver and $2,989 in Dartmouth. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dartmouth, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,626 in Vancouver and $1,993 in Dartmouth. That's a gap of about 32%.

Public transport costs about 39% less in Dartmouth. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Dartmouth, where all-in costs run around $1,993, than in Vancouver at $2,626. In Dartmouth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dartmouth – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Dartmouth. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.