Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Medford, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,154 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
151

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,154

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Medford, MA

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $3,154 in Medford, MA, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Medford, MA $3,154

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $4,274 in Medford, MA, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Medford, MA $4,274

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $5,393 in Medford, MA, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Medford, MA $5,393

Vancouver is about 16% cheaper than Medford, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Medford, MA sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Medford, MA by 133%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$18.19 $18.19

-0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$96.1 $96.1

-26.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$12.11 $12.11

-10.57%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$5.43 $5.43

-27.44%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.88 $2.88

-26.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$2.46 $2.46

-32.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$7.97 $7.97

-28.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$9.22 $9.22

-30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.08 $1.08

99.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$4.04 $4.04

-36.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$5.45 $5.45

-16.33%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.83 $4.83

-15.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$11.23 $11.23

8.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$14.22 $14.22

-6.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$17.78 $17.78

13.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$6.55 $6.55

-38.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.73 $1.73

-17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$5.62 $5.62

-29.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$5.44 $5.44

-28.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$4.50 $4.50

-41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$4.03 $4.03

-30.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.89 $2.89

-14.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.96 $2.96

-46.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$13.37 $13.37

14.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$13.66 $13.66

4.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.06 $2.06

24.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.12 $4.12

-29.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.47 $2.47

3.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$88.6 $88.6

-4.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.63 $2.63

0.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.78 $1.78

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$28.34 $28.34

12.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.03 $1.03

37.86%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.3K $27.3K

-0.88%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$26.0K $26.0K

-17.04%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$239 $239

-65.97%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$56.3 $56.3

-33.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$84.5 $84.5

-37.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$45.19 $45.19

-1.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$14.28 $14.28

-11.62%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,818 $1,818

-39.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$29.4K $29.4K

-32.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$57.7 $57.7

1.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$38.35 $38.35

-13.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$81.3 $81.3

18.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$100 $100

-4.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,606 $1,606

9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,682 $1,682

-10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,543 $2,543

22.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,123 $2,123

16.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,666 $2,666

206.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,577 $2,577

146.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.64

-35.54%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medford, MA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Medford, MA

$1.7K 53.3% 11.5% $173

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Medford, MA

$458 14.5% 14.7% $59

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Medford, MA

$327 10.4% 16.5% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Medford, MA

$380 12% 122% $209

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Medford, MA

$125 4% 2.1% $2.7

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Medford, MA

$110 3.5% 4.2% $4.5

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Medford, MA

$74 2.3% 6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,606 in Medford, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver versus $96.0 in Medford, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $458 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🕒 Local time

06:14 6:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

56,173

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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 Medford, MA 4,020 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Medford, MA

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 Medford, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medford, MA is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $4,732 in Medford, MA. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,662 in Vancouver and $3,154 in Medford, MA. That's a gap of about 19%.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Vancouver. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,662 in Vancouver and $3,154 in Medford, MA. 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, Medford, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.