Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Edison, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,191 in Edison, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,626
/mo nomad
Edison, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,191
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Edison, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $3,191 in Edison, NJ.

  • Vancouver $2,626
  • Edison, NJ $3,191

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,474 in Edison, NJ.

  • Vancouver $3,841
  • Edison, NJ $4,474

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,758 in Edison, NJ.

  • Vancouver $5,056
  • Edison, NJ $5,758

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 18% less than in Edison, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Edison, NJ 136% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.19 CA$24.30
$18.28 $18.28
-5.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$69.1 CA$97.6
$60.0 $60.0
15.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.61 CA$15.00
$9.11 $9.11
16.47%
Cappuccino
$3.83 CA$5.42
$4.10 $4.10
-6.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 CA$2.88
$1.02 $1.02
100.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.65 CA$2.34
$0.98 $0.98
68.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.54 CA$7.83
$3.54 $3.54
56.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.20 CA$8.77
$6.96 $6.96
-10.92%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.14 CA$3.02
$0.99 $0.99
116.16%
White Bread (500g)
$2.51 CA$3.54
$3.22 $3.22
-22.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.49 CA$6.35
$5.88 $5.88
-23.64%
Eggs
$4.09 CA$5.78
$2.57 $2.57
59.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.73 CA$16.58
$13.43 $13.43
-12.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.11 CA$18.54
$10.23 $10.23
28.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.50 CA$27.57
$19.57 $19.57
-0.36%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 CA$5.65
$6.22 $6.22
-35.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.94
$1.54 $1.54
-10.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.88 CA$5.48
$4.21 $4.21
-7.84%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.95 CA$5.58
$5.42 $5.42
-27.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$2.98 $2.98
-8.72%
Onion (1kg)
$2.86 CA$4.05
$3.05 $3.05
-6.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 CA$3.48
$3.04 $3.04
-19.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 CA$2.21
$2.03 $2.03
-23.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.48 CA$21.88
$9.94 $9.94
55.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.75 CA$19.44
$14.85 $14.85
-7.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 CA$3.72
$1.80 $1.80
46.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.89 CA$4.09
$3.51 $3.51
-17.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.48 CA$3.51
$6.02 $6.02
-58.80%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$83.0 CA$117
$203 $203
-59.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.72 CA$3.85
$3.09 $3.09
-11.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 CA$2.24
$0.95 $0.95
66.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.05 CA$43.89
$41.80 $41.80
-25.72%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 CA$1.94
$0.96 $0.96
42.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.7K CA$39.1K
$36.0K $36.0K
-23.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.6K CA$27.8K
$25.4K $25.4K
-22.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.5 CA$117
$172 $172
-52.09%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.26 CA$52.7
$51.4 $51.4
-27.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 CA$73.1
$49.68 $49.68
4.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.87 CA$60.6
$21.66 $21.66
97.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.40 CA$17.53
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.13 CA$17.15
$15.11 $15.11
-19.72%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,102 CA$1,557
$2,005 $2,005
-45.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.8K CA$28.0K
$16.0K $16.0K
24.01%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.4 CA$79.7
$51.0 $51.0
10.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.43 CA$47.26
$79.7 $79.7
-58.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 CA$133
$59.5 $59.5
57.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.8 CA$133
$89.2 $89.2
5.12%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 CA$2,509
$2,096 $2,096
-15.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,497 CA$2,116
$1,835 $1,835
-18.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,082 CA$4,357
$3,113 $3,113
-1.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,416 CA$3,416
$2,796 $2,796
-13.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,069 CA$11.4K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,449 CA$9,118
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Edison, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,776 CA$5,339
$6,924 $6,924
-45.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
6.42
-33.33%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Edison, NJ: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
Edison, NJ
$1.8K 22.6% $339
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$392
Edison, NJ
$408 3.9% $15
Eating Out
Vancouver
$270
Edison, NJ
$262 2.9% $7.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$171
Edison, NJ
$273 59.3% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$125
Edison, NJ
$126 0.7% $0.8
Getting Around
Vancouver
$104
Edison, NJ
$235 127% $131
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$67
Edison, NJ
$52 22.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $2,096 in Edison, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edison, NJ pays 83% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $60.0 in Edison, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $408, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇺🇸 Edison, NJ
🕒 Local time
12:29 12:29 PM
15:29 3:29 PM
3 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
107,588
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Edison, NJ 3,890 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Edison, NJ

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 Edison, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Vancouver and in Edison, NJ?
Vancouver and Edison, NJ differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $3,191 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Edison, NJ. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Vancouver and in Edison, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $2,096 in Edison, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Vancouver and in Edison, NJ?
A monthly transit pass in Vancouver runs roughly 145% less than in Edison, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Vancouver and Edison, NJ?
Childcare runs $1,102 in Vancouver versus $2,005 in Edison, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city is feasible on a $3,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Vancouver and Edison, NJ?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: Vancouver or Edison, NJ?
Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Edison, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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