Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and London, Canada

For one person, living is cheaper in London: $2,342 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver, Canada
London, Canada
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,725
/mo nomad
London
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,342
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in London

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,342 in London.

  • Vancouver $2,725
  • London $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,356 in London.

  • Vancouver $4,039
  • London $3,356

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,370 in London.

  • Vancouver $5,352
  • London $4,370

Living in Vancouver is roughly 16% more expensive than in London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, London 72% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
London
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.65 CA$24.66
$21.44 CA$29.96
-17.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$72.4 CA$101
$64.9 CA$90.6
11.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.84 CA$15.14
$12.45 CA$17.40
-12.93%
Cappuccino
$3.91 CA$5.47
$3.75 CA$5.24
4.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CA$2.94
$2.21 CA$3.09
-4.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 CA$2.29
$2.13 CA$2.98
-23.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.74 CA$8.02
$6.26 CA$8.74
-8.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.36 CA$8.89
$6.40 CA$8.94
-0.63%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
London
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.21 CA$3.09
$1.89 CA$2.64
16.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.64 CA$3.69
$2.67 CA$3.73
-1.12%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.68 CA$6.54
$4.07 CA$5.68
14.99%
Eggs
$4.24 CA$5.92
$3.69 CA$5.15
14.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.92 CA$16.66
$10.02 CA$14.00
18.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.12 CA$18.34
$11.75 CA$16.41
11.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.40 CA$28.51
$14.92 CA$20.85
36.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.10 CA$5.73
$4.38 CA$6.11
-6.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 CA$1.92
$1.21 CA$1.68
14.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.83 CA$5.35
$3.79 CA$5.29
1.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 CA$5.47
$4.21 CA$5.88
-6.89%
Potato (1kg)
$2.77 CA$3.88
$3.20 CA$4.47
-13.44%
Onion (1kg)
$2.84 CA$3.96
$3.07 CA$4.30
-7.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.60 CA$3.63
$2.52 CA$3.53
3.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 CA$2.23
$1.54 CA$2.16
3.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.87 CA$22.17
$12.01 CA$16.78
32.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.00 CA$19.56
$12.68 CA$17.72
10.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.59
$2.55 CA$3.57
0.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.01 CA$4.21
$2.91 CA$4.07
3.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
London
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.57
$2.55 CA$3.56
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.1 CA$118
$80.3 CA$112
4.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 CA$3.73
$2.45 CA$3.42
8.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$1.64 CA$2.29
-3.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.19 CA$44.98
$22.15 CA$30.95
45.33%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 CA$2.03
$1.25 CA$1.74
16.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.5K CA$38.4K
$26.8K CA$37.5K
2.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.3K CA$29.8K
$23.2K CA$32.4K
-7.94%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
London
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$82.5 CA$115
$139 CA$194
-40.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.46 CA$52.3
$39.22 CA$54.8
-4.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.7 CA$72.2
$56.6 CA$79.1
-8.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
London
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.52 CA$56.6
$35.95 CA$50.2
12.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.69 CA$17.73
$28.81 CA$40.25
-55.95%
Cinema Ticket
$12.66 CA$17.69
$10.83 CA$15.14
16.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
London
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,080 CA$1,509
$419 CA$586
157.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.1K CA$28.1K
$20.8K CA$29.1K
-3.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
London
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$81.7
$54.2 CA$75.7
7.94%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.10 CA$47.65
$38.94 CA$54.4
-12.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.9 CA$135
$81.1 CA$113
19.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.4 CA$136
$91.4 CA$128
6.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
London
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,813 CA$2,534
$1,323 CA$1,849
37.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,576 CA$2,202
$1,149 CA$1,606
37.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,217 CA$4,494
$2,099 CA$2,932
53.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,651 CA$3,705
$1,681 CA$2,349
57.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,590 CA$12.0K
$4,124 CA$5,762
108.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,649 CA$9,291
$3,452 CA$4,823
92.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
London
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,733 CA$5,216
$3,052 CA$4,265
22.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
4.72
-9.32%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for London: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.6K
London
$1.1K 27% $426
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$401
London
$364 9.2% $37
Eating Out
Vancouver
$277
London
$315 13.8% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$172
London
$235 36.8% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$129
London
$119 7.4% $9.6
Getting Around
Vancouver
$105
London
$101 3.6% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$66
London
$58 12.5% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,323 in London. 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 $65 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $364 per month, with London cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇦 London
🕒 Local time
14:16 2:16 PM
16:16 4:16 PM
2 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
383,822
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver London 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • London

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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is London cheaper than Vancouver?
London is about 14% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Vancouver or London?
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.
What is the rent difference between Vancouver and London?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,323 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Vancouver and in London?
All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,342 in London – London is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in London runs roughly 5% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Is it better to live in Vancouver or in London?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find London gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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