Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ellicott City, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 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
168

Cost of Living Index in Ellicott City, MD
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Ellicott City, MD Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Ellicott City, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Ellicott City, MD

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 Ellicott City, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Ellicott City, MD $3,456

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $4,609 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Ellicott City, MD $4,609

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $5,762 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Ellicott City, MD $5,762

Vancouver is about 23% cheaper than Ellicott City, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vancouver and Ellicott City, MD sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Ellicott City, MD by 155%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.95 $17.95

0.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$96.3 $96.3

-26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.76 $10.76

0.65%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$5.19 $5.19

-24.08%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$3.48 $3.48

-38.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$2.64 $2.64

-37.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$7.16 $7.16

-19.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$8.20 $8.20

-21.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.16 $1.16

85.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$4.10 $4.10

-37.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.91 $3.91

16.62%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.71 $4.71

-13.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$16.82 $16.82

-27.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$13.10 $13.10

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$18.63 $18.63

8.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$5.90 $5.90

-31.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.59 $1.59

-10.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.19 $4.19

-5.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.32 $4.32

-9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.16 $2.16

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.62 $2.62

7.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.37 $2.37

4.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.26 $2.26

-29.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$13.63 $13.63

12.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.75 $15.75

-9.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.68 $2.68

-4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.13 $3.13

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$1.77 $1.77

49.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.34 $1.34

21.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$23.53 $23.53

35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$0.94 $0.94

51.06%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$22.8K $22.8K

18.94%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$24.3K $24.3K

-10.97%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$205 $205

-60.37%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$51.0 $51.0

-26.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$79.6 $79.6

-33.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$114 $114

-61.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$14.86 $14.86

-15.07%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,971 $1,971

-44.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$35.0K $35.0K

-42.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$51.3 $51.3

14.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$56.0 $56.0

-40.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$90.6 $90.6

6.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$113 $113

-15.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$2,470 $2,470

-28.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$2,078 $2,078

-27.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,963 $2,963

5.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,651 $2,651

-6.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,585 $2,585

145.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$4,995 $4,995

-28.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.79

-36.97%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ellicott City, MD: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Ellicott City, MD

$2.1K 60.1% 37.7% $569

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Ellicott City, MD

$436 12.6% 9.2% $37

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Ellicott City, MD

$315 9.1% 12.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Ellicott City, MD

$336 9.7% 96.2% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Ellicott City, MD

$140 4.1% 9.7% $12

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Ellicott City, MD

$8.5 * 0.3% 92% $97

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Ellicott City, MD

$144 4.2% 107% $74

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $2,470 in Ellicott City, MD. 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 39% higher in Ellicott City, MD, 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 $71.0 in Vancouver versus $96.0 in Ellicott City, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $436 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Ellicott City, MD

🕒 Local time

15:00 3:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

65,834

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Ellicott City, MD 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Ellicott City, MD

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 Ellicott City, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ellicott City, MD is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $5,184 in Ellicott City, MD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vancouver, 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 $2,662 in Vancouver and $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $1,093 per month in Vancouver and $1,971 in Ellicott City, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,662 in Vancouver and $3,456 in Ellicott City, MD. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Vancouver – 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 Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ellicott City, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.