Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Guelph

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Guelph: $2,725 and $2,693 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Guelph
Learn more

Guelph Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Guelph

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Guelph

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,693 in Guelph.

Vancouver $2,725
Guelph $2,693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,753 in Guelph.

Vancouver $4,039
Guelph $3,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,814 in Guelph.

Vancouver $5,352
Guelph $4,814

Monthly costs are close between Vancouver and Guelph; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Guelph 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.68

$21.26 CA$29.73

-16.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$70.7 CA$98.9

2.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$11.61 CA$16.24

-6.63%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.49 CA$4.88

12.03%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.44 CA$2.01

45.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.31 CA$1.83

25.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.03

$5.10 CA$7.14

12.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.90

$5.85 CA$8.18

8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.16 CA$3.02

2.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.78 CA$3.89

-5.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.78 CA$5.29

23.81%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.93

$3.06 CA$4.28

38.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.68

$10.04 CA$14.05

18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.35

$16.01 CA$22.39

-18.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.53

$22.09 CA$30.90

-7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$3.54 CA$4.95

15.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.32 CA$1.84

4.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$4.34 CA$6.08

-11.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$4.74 CA$6.63

-17.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$3.48 CA$4.87

-20.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.34 CA$3.27

21.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$3.02 CA$4.22

-13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.48 CA$2.07

7.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.19

$10.86 CA$15.18

46.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$10.94 CA$15.30

27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$3.50 CA$4.90

-26.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.22

$3.11 CA$4.35

-3.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.28 CA$3.20

11.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$65.9 CA$92.2

27.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.34 CA$3.27

14.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.83 CA$2.57

-13.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.02

$23.94 CA$33.48

34.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.17 CA$1.64

23.93%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$28.4K CA$39.7K

-3.13%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$22.9K CA$32.0K

-6.71%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$122 CA$171

-32.41%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$42.99 CA$60.1

-12.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.3

$56.3 CA$78.7

-8.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.7

$47.50 CA$66.4

-14.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.75

$14.55 CA$20.36

-12.78%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.71

$10.55 CA$14.76

20.00%

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

$1,080 CA$1,510

$832 CA$1,163

29.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$17.2K CA$24.0K

17.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.8

$62.9 CA$88.0

-7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.69

$36.51 CA$51.1

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$84.9 CA$119

14.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$124 CA$174

-21.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,536

$1,515 CA$2,119

19.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,204

$1,472 CA$2,059

7.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,499

$2,164 CA$3,027

48.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,708

$2,008 CA$2,808

32.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,967 CA$6,947

72.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,300

$4,356 CA$6,093

52.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,221

$3,053 CA$4,270

22.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.99

-14.23%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Guelph: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Guelph

$1.5K 54.7% 6.6% $104

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Guelph

$410 15.2% 2.4% $9.6

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Guelph

$295 11% 6.5% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Guelph

$221 8.2% 28.9% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Guelph

$139 5.2% 7.5% $9.7

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Guelph

$87 3.2% 17.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Guelph

$69 2.6% 4.2% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,515 in Guelph. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 22% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $71 in Guelph. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $410, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Guelph

🕒 Local time

23:51 11:51 PM

02:51 2:51 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

131,794

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Guelph 3,300 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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 Guelph: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 22% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,515 in Guelph. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,080 in Vancouver versus $832 in Guelph. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Guelph runs roughly 22% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Guelph is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Guelph is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Guelph wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.