Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ithaca, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 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
142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Ithaca, NY

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Vancouver vs $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Vancouver $2,626
Ithaca, NY $2,941

A couple spends around $3,841 per month in Vancouver vs $3,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Vancouver $3,841
Ithaca, NY $3,792

A family of three spends $5,056 per month in Vancouver vs $4,642 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Vancouver $5,056
Ithaca, NY $4,642

Vancouver is about 11% cheaper than Ithaca, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vancouver and Ithaca, NY sit above the global median – Vancouver by 95%, Ithaca, NY by 118%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$22.16 $22.16

-22.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$81.1 $81.1

-14.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$11.22 $11.22

-5.44%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.04 $5.04

-24.01%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.68 $2.68

-23.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.03 $2.03

-18.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$4.88 $4.88

13.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$9.29 $9.29

-33.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.01 $1.01

111.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$3.34 $3.34

-24.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$7.20 $7.20

-37.64%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$4.10 $4.10

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$14.42 $14.42

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$6.75 $6.75

94.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$15.31 $15.31

27.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$4.73 $4.73

-15.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.69 $1.69

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$5.45 $5.45

-28.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.70 $4.70

-15.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.27 $3.27

-16.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.58 $3.58

-20.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.32 $2.32

6.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.06 $2.06

-24.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$9.09 $9.09

70.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$14.03 $14.03

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.83 $1.83

43.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.85 $3.85

-24.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.96 $1.96

26.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$45.65 $45.65

81.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$5.01 $5.01

-45.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.42 $1.42

11.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$29.94 $29.94

3.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.06 $1.06

29.25%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$36.4K $36.4K

-23.95%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

-21.53%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$164 $164

-49.78%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$47.70 $47.70

-21.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$51.0 $51.0

1.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$35.26 $35.26

21.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$10.84 $10.84

11.90%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$1,466 $1,466

-24.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$16.9K $16.9K

17.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$46.46 $46.46

21.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$40.18 $40.18

-16.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$78.8 $78.8

19.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$106 $106

-11.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$2,183 $2,183

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,714 $1,714

-12.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,728 $2,728

12.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,844 $1,844

31.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$2,196 $2,196

267.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$2,149 $2,149

200.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$3,464 $3,464

9.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.46

-33.75%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3% 14.5% $217

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1% 1.5% $5.9

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3% 23.3% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9% 53.3% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2% 2.1% $2.6

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2% 36.6% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9% 15.2% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Vancouver versus $2,183 in Ithaca, NY. 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 9% higher in Vancouver, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $81.0 in Ithaca, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $392 in Vancouver vs $387 in Ithaca, NY – so Ithaca, NY wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

21:08 9:08 PM

00:08 12:08 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

22,283

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 Ithaca, NY 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Ithaca, NY

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 Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver, $2,941 in Ithaca, NY – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,939 per month in Vancouver and $4,412 in Ithaca, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver and $81.0 in Ithaca, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,626 in Vancouver and $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. That's a gap of about 12%.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,626 in Vancouver and $2,941 in Ithaca, NY. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Vancouver – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.