Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Meadow Lake, SK

For one person, living is cheaper in Meadow Lake, SK: $2,333 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Meadow Lake, SK
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Meadow Lake, SK Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Meadow Lake, SK

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,333

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Meadow Lake, SK

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 Meadow Lake, SK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,333 in Meadow Lake, SK, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Meadow Lake, SK $2,333

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,296 in Meadow Lake, SK, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Meadow Lake, SK $3,296

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $4,259 in Meadow Lake, SK, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Meadow Lake, SK $4,259

Vancouver costs about 17% more than Meadow Lake, SK, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Meadow Lake, SK sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Meadow Lake, SK by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.68

$15.41 CA$21.55

14.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$72.3 CA$101

0.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$9.18 CA$12.84

18.08%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.59 CA$5.02

8.91%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.05 CA$2.87

2.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.77 CA$2.48

-7.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.03

$3.98 CA$5.57

44.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.90

$5.62 CA$7.86

13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.27 CA$1.77

74.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.24 CA$3.13

17.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$4.88 CA$6.82

-4.10%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.93

$3.52 CA$4.92

20.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.68

$8.63 CA$12.07

38.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.35

$11.91 CA$16.66

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.53

$16.39 CA$22.92

24.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$3.48 CA$4.87

17.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.47 CA$2.06

-6.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$4.34 CA$6.08

-11.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$3.29 CA$4.61

19.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.86 CA$4.01

-3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$1.65 CA$2.30

72.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.82 CA$2.54

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.51 CA$2.12

5.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.19

$15.07 CA$21.08

5.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$13.94 CA$19.49

0.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.84 CA$3.97

-9.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.22

$3.44 CA$4.82

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.20 CA$3.08

15.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$56.6 CA$79.2

48.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$4.46 CA$6.23

-40.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.32 CA$1.84

19.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.02

$10.61 CA$14.85

203.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.14 CA$1.60

27.19%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$28.3K CA$39.5K

-2.79%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$21.6K CA$30.2K

-1.28%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$209 CA$292

-60.55%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$47.62 CA$66.6

-21.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.3

$60.1 CA$84.1

-14.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.7

$37.87 CA$53.0

7.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.75

$19.52 CA$27.30

-34.99%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.71

$11.04 CA$15.44

14.67%

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

$1,080 CA$1,510

$487 CA$681

121.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$14.4K CA$20.1K

40.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.8

$63.5 CA$88.8

-7.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.69

$44.65 CA$62.5

-23.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$85.5 CA$120

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$106 CA$148

-8.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,536

$1,308 CA$1,829

38.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,204

$1,155 CA$1,616

36.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,499

$2,008 CA$2,809

60.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,708

$1,656 CA$2,316

60.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$3,889 CA$5,439

120.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,300

$3,449 CA$4,824

92.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,221

$2,998 CA$4,194

24.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.8

-10.83%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Meadow Lake, SK: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Meadow Lake, SK

$1.2K 49.5% 26.7% $420

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Meadow Lake, SK

$350 15% 12.8% $51

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Meadow Lake, SK

$240 10.3% 13.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Meadow Lake, SK

$317 13.6% 84.6% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Meadow Lake, SK

$135 5.8% 4.5% $5.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Meadow Lake, SK

$76 3.3% 27.1% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Meadow Lake, SK

$60 2.6% 9% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,308 in Meadow Lake, SK. 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 24% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $72 in Meadow Lake, SK. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Vancouver vs $350 in Meadow Lake, SK – so Meadow Lake, SK wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Meadow Lake, SK

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

18:15 6:15 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

5,266

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.642 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Meadow Lake, SK 1,140 km ≈ 2 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 Meadow Lake, SK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 17%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $3,500 in Meadow Lake, SK. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Meadow Lake, SK, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,308 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,333 in Meadow Lake, SK. That makes Meadow Lake, SK about 14% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,080 per month in Vancouver and $487 in Meadow Lake, SK. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

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