Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Harrisburg, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisburg, PA: $2,508 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Harrisburg, PA
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Harrisburg, PA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Harrisburg, PA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $2,508 in Harrisburg, PA.

Vancouver $2,684
Harrisburg, PA $2,508

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $3,613 in Harrisburg, PA.

Vancouver $3,878
Harrisburg, PA $3,613

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $4,717 in Harrisburg, PA.

Vancouver $5,072
Harrisburg, PA $4,717

Living in Vancouver is roughly 7% more expensive than in Harrisburg, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Harrisburg, PA 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$13.66 $13.66

26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$65.3 $65.3

5.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$10.71 $10.71

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$5.05 $5.05

-22.97%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.83 $2.83

-27.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.30 $2.30

-29.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$5.19 $5.19

6.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$7.01 $7.01

-9.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.34 $1.34

72.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$3.97 $3.97

-37.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$2.63 $2.63

68.82%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$6.33 $6.33

-35.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$15.19 $15.19

-25.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$14.17 $14.17

-5.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$19.01 $19.01

5.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$4.37 $4.37

-7.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.74 $1.74

-23.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$5.43 $5.43

-27.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$5.37 $5.37

-24.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.97 $2.97

-8.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$4.00 $4.00

-27.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.06 $2.06

22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.80 $2.80

-42.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$10.70 $10.70

45.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$14.83 $14.83

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.53 $2.53

6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$4.95 $4.95

-39.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.57 $2.57

-5.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$49.83 $49.83

67.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$6.64 $6.64

-59.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.88 $1.88

-16.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$39.76 $39.76

-21.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.13 $1.13

22.12%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$26.3K $26.3K

6.74%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

-27.10%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$162 $162

-50.02%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$43.81 $43.81

-14.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$73.7 $73.7

-30.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$27.12 $27.12

60.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$19.69 $19.69

-36.36%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$11.17 $11.17

12.26%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$1,100 $1,100

-0.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$21.0K $21.0K

-5.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$40.24 $40.24

41.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$33.14 $33.14

-1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$80.1 $80.1

15.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$99.7 $99.7

-5.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,434 $1,434

21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,261 $1,261

17.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,033 $2,033

47.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,009 $2,009

20.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$1,873 $1,873

327.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$1,814 $1,814

255.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,173 $4,173

-8.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.29

-31.96%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Harrisburg, PA: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Harrisburg, PA

$1.3K 50.5% 15% $223

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Harrisburg, PA

$454 18.2% 13.9% $56

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Harrisburg, PA

$262 10.5% 3.5% $9.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Harrisburg, PA

$280 11.2% 64.6% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Harrisburg, PA

$114 4.6% 8.5% $11

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Harrisburg, PA

$76 3.1% 26.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Harrisburg, PA

$49 2% 27.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $1,434 in Harrisburg, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harrisburg, PA pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $65.0 in Harrisburg, PA. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $454, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Harrisburg, PA

🕒 Local time

22:52 10:52 PM

01:52 1:52 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

49,528

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Harrisburg, PA 3,720 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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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 Harrisburg, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Harrisburg, PA differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $2,508 including rent). Harrisburg, PA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Harrisburg, PA. 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: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,434 in Harrisburg, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver versus $1,100 in Harrisburg, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Vancouver pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Harrisburg, PA 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.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Harrisburg, PA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Harrisburg, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.