Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Gaithersburg, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
139

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
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Gaithersburg, MD Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Vancouver $2,626
Gaithersburg, MD $2,885

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,150 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Vancouver $3,841
Gaithersburg, MD $4,150

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $5,415 in Gaithersburg, MD.

Vancouver $5,056
Gaithersburg, MD $5,415

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 9% less than in Gaithersburg, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Gaithersburg, MD 114% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$20.11 $20.11

-14.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$90.7 $90.7

-23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$6.90 $6.90

53.77%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.74 $5.74

-33.28%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.77 $2.77

-26.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.39 $2.39

-30.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$7.79 $7.79

-28.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$8.72 $8.72

-28.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.19 $1.19

79.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$4.44 $4.44

-43.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$5.33 $5.33

-15.76%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$5.19 $5.19

-21.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$17.77 $17.77

-33.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$15.82 $15.82

-17.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$19.18 $19.18

1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.77 $4.77

-16.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.72 $1.72

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$4.57 $4.57

-15.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$5.47 $5.47

-27.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.06 $3.06

-11.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.04 $2.04

40.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.16 $2.16

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.48 $2.48

-37.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$14.23 $14.23

8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$14.86 $14.86

-7.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.77 $1.77

48.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$2.91 $2.91

-0.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$4.04 $4.04

-32.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.26 $1.26

25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$25.37 $25.37

22.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.04 $1.04

31.73%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

2.82%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

-22.06%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$165 $165

-50.02%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$52.5 $52.5

-29.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$62.5 $62.5

-17.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$31.65 $31.65

35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$17.08 $17.08

-28.98%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,569 $1,569

-29.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-44.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$56.4 $56.4

0.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$36.25 $36.25

-7.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$101 $101

-7.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$118 $118

-20.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,814 $1,814

-2.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,597 $1,597

-6.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,401 $2,401

28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,434 $2,434

-0.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$2,474 $2,474

226.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$2,606 $2,606

147.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$5,141 $5,141

-26.55%

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 10, 2026

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.4% 6.7% $100

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Gaithersburg, MD

$464 16.1% 18.3% $72

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Gaithersburg, MD

$328 11.4% 21.2% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Gaithersburg, MD

$280 9.7% 63.3% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Gaithersburg, MD

$140 4.9% 12.3% $15

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4% 90% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3% 2% $1.3

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gaithersburg, MD pays 36% 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 $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $464 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

14:14 2:14 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

69,657

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Gaithersburg, MD 3,770 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Gaithersburg, 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 Gaithersburg, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Gaithersburg, MD differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,885 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Gaithersburg, MD. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Vancouver versus $1,569 in Gaithersburg, MD. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Gaithersburg, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.