Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Gatineau

For one person, living is cheaper in Gatineau: $2,132 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
103

Cost of Living Index in Gatineau
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Gatineau Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Gatineau

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,132

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Gatineau

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,132 in Gatineau, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Gatineau $2,132

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,159 in Gatineau, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Gatineau $3,159

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $4,186 in Gatineau, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Gatineau $4,186

Vancouver costs about 28% more than Gatineau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vancouver and Gatineau sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Gatineau by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$13.03 CA$18.20

35.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$86.5 CA$121

-16.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.82 CA$15.12

0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.17 CA$4.43

23.34%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.37 CA$1.91

53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.32 CA$1.85

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$4.41 CA$6.16

30.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$6.45 CA$9.02

-1.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.91 CA$2.67

15.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.99 CA$4.18

-11.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.53

$5.16 CA$7.20

-9.30%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.21 CA$4.48

32.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$11.63 CA$16.25

2.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.33

$9.99 CA$13.96

31.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.50

$11.08 CA$15.48

84.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$3.97 CA$5.55

3.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.93 CA$2.69

-28.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$4.72 CA$6.59

-18.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$4.52 CA$6.32

-13.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.10 CA$2.93

31.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.47 CA$3.44

14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.08 CA$2.91

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.22

$2.68 CA$3.74

-40.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$11.94 CA$16.68

32.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.55

$12.40 CA$17.32

12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.92 CA$4.09

-11.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.37 CA$4.71

-10.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$3.28 CA$4.59

-22.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$80.3 CA$112

4.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$4.91 CA$6.86

-45.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$2.28 CA$3.18

-30.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.97

$33.31 CA$46.53

-3.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.24 CA$1.73

16.94%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$27.7K CA$38.7K

-0.87%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$20.9K CA$29.3K

1.82%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$116 CA$162

-28.89%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$36.45 CA$50.9

2.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$49.10 CA$68.6

5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$46.92 CA$65.5

-13.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$29.37 CA$41.03

-56.79%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$10.78 CA$15.07

17.44%

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

$1,080 CA$1,508

$552 CA$771

95.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$137.5K CA$192.1K

-85.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$69.9 CA$97.7

-16.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.64

$43.48 CA$60.7

-21.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$88.8 CA$124

9.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$120 CA$168

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,533

$1,287 CA$1,799

40.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,201

$1,016 CA$1,419

55.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$1,933 CA$2,700

66.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,704

$1,524 CA$2,129

74.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$5,162 CA$7,212

66.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,289

$6,163 CA$8,610

7.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,215

$2,656 CA$3,711

40.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.64

-7.76%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Gatineau: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Gatineau

$1K 47.6% 35.5% $560

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Gatineau

$371 17.4% 7.4% $30

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Gatineau

$220 10.3% 20.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Gatineau

$202 9.5% 17.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Gatineau

$145 6.8% 12.3% $16

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Gatineau

$110 5.2% 4.6% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Gatineau

$68 3.2% 4% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,287 in Gatineau. 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 41% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $87 in Gatineau. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Vancouver vs $371 in Gatineau – so Gatineau wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Gatineau

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

23:06 11:06 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

291,041

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Gatineau 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Gatineau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 28% more than Gatineau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $3,199 in Gatineau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Gatineau, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,287 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,132 in Gatineau. That makes Gatineau about 22% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Gatineau. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,132 in Gatineau. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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