Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Hartford, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Hartford, CT: $2,496 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Hartford, CT
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Hartford, CT Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Hartford, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,496

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Hartford, CT

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $2,496 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Hartford, CT $2,496

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $3,578 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Hartford, CT $3,578

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $4,661 in Hartford, CT, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Hartford, CT $4,661

Vancouver costs about 7% more than Hartford, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Hartford, CT sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Hartford, CT by 84%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$20.30 $20.30

-11.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$98.9 $98.9

-28.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$11.82 $11.82

-8.38%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.99 $3.99

-1.25%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.59 $2.59

-17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$7.20 $7.20

-20.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$7.32 $7.32

-12.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.34 $1.34

60.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$4.87 $4.87

-47.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.18 $4.18

9.09%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.18 $4.18

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$18.59 $18.59

-34.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$13.12 $13.12

0.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$17.12 $17.12

18.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$6.83 $6.83

-40.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$2.07 $2.07

-31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.74 $4.74

-16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.30 $4.30

-9.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$1.59 $1.59

66.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.72 $2.72

3.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.11 $1.11

123.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.55 $2.55

-37.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$13.39 $13.39

14.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.74 $15.74

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.77 $1.77

45.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.04 $2.04

42.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$1.72 $1.72

48.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$62.1 $62.1

36.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.97 $2.97

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$2.21 $2.21

-26.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$41.52 $41.52

-23.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.06 $1.06

33.96%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.7K $27.7K

-2.01%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

-15.89%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$192 $192

-57.52%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$53.7 $53.7

-30.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$52.7 $52.7

-0.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$50.1 $50.1

-11.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$30.56 $30.56

-59.52%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$12.74 $12.74

-0.94%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$826 $826

32.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$32.8K $32.8K

-39.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$57.2 $57.2

2.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$37.86 $37.86

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$51.9 $51.9

85.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$81.2 $81.2

17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$2,205 $2,205

-19.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,179 $1,179

27.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,455 $2,455

27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,579 $1,579

56.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,799 $2,799

192.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,491 $2,491

155.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,221 $3,221

11.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.56

-34.76%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Hartford, CT: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Hartford, CT

$1.2K 47.3% 21.8% $329

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Hartford, CT

$445 17.8% 11.5% $46

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Hartford, CT

$313 12.5% 11.5% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Hartford, CT

$298 11.9% 74% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Hartford, CT

$103 4.1% 19.6% $25

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Hartford, CT

$83 3.3% 21.3% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Hartford, CT

$76 3% 8.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $2,205 in Hartford, CT. 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 12% higher in Vancouver, 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 $99.0 in Hartford, CT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $445 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Hartford, CT

🕒 Local time

14:14 2:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

122,366

💱 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

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Between locations

Vancouver Hartford, CT 3,940 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Hartford, CT

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 Hartford, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver, $2,496 in Hartford, CT – roughly 7% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $3,744 in Hartford, CT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Hartford, CT, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,093 per month in Vancouver and $826 in Hartford, CT. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Vancouver – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,496 in Hartford, CT. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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