Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Drumheller Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Drumheller

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,735 per month in Vancouver vs $2,415 in Drumheller, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,984 per month in Vancouver vs $3,323 in Drumheller, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,234 per month in Vancouver vs $4,230 in Drumheller, rent included.

Vancouver costs about 13% more than Drumheller, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Vancouver and Drumheller sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Drumheller by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.82 CA$24.93

$19.51 CA$27.29

-8.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$43.95 CA$61.5

64.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.93 CA$15.30

$10.01 CA$14.00

9.19%

Cappuccino

$4.19 CA$5.86

$2.92 CA$4.09

43.49%

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

$2.22 CA$3.11

$1.51 CA$2.11

47.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.54 CA$2.16

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 CA$8.23

$3.70 CA$5.18

59.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 CA$9.11

$4.29 CA$6.01

51.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.96

$0.95 CA$1.33

123.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.16 CA$3.02

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.21

$2.95 CA$4.12

50.51%

Eggs

$4.21 CA$5.89

$3.48 CA$4.87

20.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.04 CA$16.85

$11.02 CA$15.42

9.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.91 CA$19.46

$11.29 CA$15.80

23.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.62 CA$28.85

$18.34 CA$25.66

12.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.29 CA$6.00

$4.38 CA$6.13

-2.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.34 CA$1.88

$1.41 CA$1.97

-4.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.43

$4.31 CA$6.03

-9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.70

$4.04 CA$5.65

0.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 CA$4.03

$1.47 CA$2.06

95.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.09

$1.96 CA$2.75

49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$2.44 CA$3.41

7.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.38

$1.82 CA$2.55

-6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.66 CA$21.91

$14.38 CA$20.12

8.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.23 CA$19.91

$11.47 CA$16.05

24.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.89

$3.59 CA$5.03

-22.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CA$4.27

$2.97 CA$4.16

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 CA$3.54

$2.05 CA$2.86

23.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 CA$120

$73.1 CA$102

17.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.03 CA$4.23

-11.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 CA$2.25

$1.40 CA$1.96

15.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.34 CA$45.24

$21.45 CA$30.01

50.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CA$1.96

$1.13 CA$1.58

23.89%

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

$28.6K CA$40.0K

-0.24%

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

$19.8K CA$27.7K

$20.1K CA$28.2K

-1.55%

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

$78.8 CA$110

$222 CA$310

-64.48%

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

$35.70 CA$49.94

$40.29 CA$56.4

-11.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 CA$71.5

$56.7 CA$79.4

-9.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.37 CA$59.3

$41.28 CA$57.8

2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.04 CA$18.24

$15.88 CA$22.21

-17.88%

Cinema Ticket

$11.68 CA$16.34

$13.17 CA$18.42

-11.31%

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

$1,108 CA$1,549

$764 CA$1,069

44.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$27.8K

$9,649 CA$13.5K

106.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$79.7

$44.78 CA$62.7

27.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.01 CA$48.98

$47.58 CA$66.6

-26.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.0 CA$123

$84.1 CA$118

4.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.2 CA$128

$96.1 CA$134

-5.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,843 CA$2,579

$1,250 CA$1,749

47.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,530 CA$2,140

$1,163 CA$1,627

31.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 CA$4,415

$1,948 CA$2,725

61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,476 CA$3,464

$1,707 CA$2,388

45.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,675 CA$12.1K

$4,850 CA$6,785

78.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,528 CA$9,132

$3,701 CA$5,177

76.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,726 CA$5,213

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.32

-2.55%

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

Last update for Vancouver: September 13, 2026

Last update for Drumheller: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,843 in Vancouver versus $1,250 in Drumheller. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72.0 in Vancouver versus $44.00 in Drumheller. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $409 vs $356 – making Drumheller the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Drumheller: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,735 in Vancouver, $2,415 in Drumheller – roughly 13% apart. Vancouver costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,103 per month in Vancouver and $3,622 in Drumheller. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Drumheller, 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 $2,735 in Vancouver and $2,415 in Drumheller. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 17% less in Drumheller. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Drumheller, where all-in costs run around $2,415, than in Vancouver at $2,735. In Drumheller it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Drumheller – 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 Drumheller. 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.