Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Markham

For one person, living is cheaper in Markham: $2,429 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in Markham
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Markham Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Markham

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,429

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Markham

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,429 in Markham.

Vancouver $2,662
Markham $2,429

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,533 in Markham.

Vancouver $3,916
Markham $3,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $4,638 in Markham.

Vancouver $5,170
Markham $4,638

Living in Vancouver is roughly 10% more expensive than in Markham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Markham 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.50 CA$24.74

2.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$52.7 CA$74.5

34.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.50 CA$14.85

3.14%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.69 CA$5.22

6.78%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.77 CA$2.50

20.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.18 CA$1.67

40.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$3.62 CA$5.11

58.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.71 CA$8.07

12.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.92 CA$2.71

11.98%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.26 CA$3.19

12.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$1.91 CA$2.70

138.74%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.18 CA$4.49

27.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.96 CA$16.91

10.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$6.92 CA$9.79

192.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.76 CA$5.32

7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.34 CA$1.89

5.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$2.32 CA$3.27

71.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.24 CA$4.58

20.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.02 CA$2.86

30.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$1.98 CA$2.80

42.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.85 CA$4.03

-12.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.49 CA$2.10

6.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$13.22 CA$18.69

15.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$14.59 CA$20.63

-1.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.40 CA$3.39

7.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.12 CA$4.41

-6.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$3.10 CA$4.38

-17.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$91.7 CA$130

-7.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.39 CA$4.79

-22.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$18.30 CA$25.88

73.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.19 CA$1.68

19.33%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-1.72%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$21.4K CA$30.2K

1.00%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$126 CA$178

-35.55%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$27.25 CA$38.52

36.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$45.89 CA$64.9

14.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$42.66 CA$60.3

3.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$21.28 CA$30.09

-41.87%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$10.00 CA$14.14

26.20%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$878 CA$1,242

24.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$27.5K CA$38.8K

-27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$42.38 CA$59.9

37.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$38.11 CA$53.9

-12.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$93.8 CA$133

2.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$106 CA$149

-9.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,607 CA$2,271

9.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,395 CA$1,972

8.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,736 CA$3,868

14.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,343 CA$3,312

5.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$5,918 CA$8,367

38.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$5,456 CA$7,714

16.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,198 CA$4,520

12.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.56

-6.14%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Markham: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Markham

$1.4K 57.4% 7.5% $113

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Markham

$282 * 11.6% 29.4% $117

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Markham

$257 10.6% 8.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Markham

$199 8.2% 16.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Markham

$126 5.2% 1.4% $1.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Markham

$107 * 4.4% 1.8% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Markham

$63 2.6% 9.9% $6.9

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,607 in Markham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $53.0 in Markham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $282 per month, with Markham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Markham

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

338,503

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Markham 3,350 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 Markham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Markham wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Markham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% 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: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,607 in Markham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $878 in Markham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Markham 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 Markham 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 Markham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.