Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Milton Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Milton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,831 in Vancouver versus $3,044 in Milton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,231 in Vancouver versus $4,159 in Milton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,630 in Vancouver versus $5,275 in Milton.

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 7% less than in Milton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Milton 127% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.28

$14.65 CA$20.29

24.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$108

$72.4 CA$100

7.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.02

$12.96 CA$17.95

-16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.51

$3.86 CA$5.34

3.11%

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

$2.12 CA$2.93

$3.23 CA$4.48

-34.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.46

$2.50 CA$3.46

-28.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$7.99

$8.00 CA$11.08

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CA$10.46

$5.40 CA$7.48

40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.21

$2.50 CA$3.47

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.29

$2.61 CA$3.61

18.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.38

$4.55 CA$6.30

-14.51%

Eggs

$4.53 CA$6.27

$3.47 CA$4.81

30.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.88

$6.61 CA$9.15

95.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 CA$19.58

$29.96 CA$41.49

-52.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$21.80

$19.04 CA$26.37

-17.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.89

$5.60 CA$7.76

-23.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.03

$1.57 CA$2.18

-6.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.57

$2.91 CA$4.03

38.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.01

$3.29 CA$4.56

53.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.18

$1.04 CA$1.44

190.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.09

$1.26 CA$1.74

134.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.60

$1.65 CA$2.29

57.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.60

$2.27 CA$3.15

-17.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 CA$21.04

$12.57 CA$17.40

20.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.80

$13.56 CA$18.77

5.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.26

$2.26 CA$3.12

35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.18

$2.70 CA$3.74

38.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.37

$2.93 CA$4.06

-16.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 CA$118

$45.77 CA$63.4

85.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 CA$5.18

$3.13 CA$4.34

19.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.08

$1.45 CA$2.01

3.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 CA$37.98

$37.15 CA$51.4

-26.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.09 CA$1.51

22.94%

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

$25.1K CA$34.8K

$24.8K CA$34.4K

1.16%

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

$20.7K CA$28.7K

$24.2K CA$33.5K

-14.42%

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

$91.8 CA$127

$247 CA$341

-62.79%

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

$39.42 CA$54.6

$60.4 CA$83.6

-34.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$84.6

$67.7 CA$93.8

-9.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 CA$62.2

$33.36 CA$46.19

34.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 CA$21.71

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 CA$17.12

$16.87 CA$23.35

-26.67%

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

$1,180 CA$1,634

$556 CA$770

112.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K CA$26.0K

$11.8K CA$16.3K

59.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$86.8

$57.5 CA$79.6

8.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$59.7

$53.7 CA$74.3

-19.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 CA$131

$95.0 CA$132

-0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$129 CA$179

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 CA$2,762

$1,783 CA$2,469

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,256

$1,672 CA$2,315

-2.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 CA$4,969

$2,588 CA$3,583

38.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 CA$3,834

$2,288 CA$3,168

21.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,246 CA$12.8K

$4,840 CA$6,701

91.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,086 CA$9,811

$4,220 CA$5,843

67.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,474 CA$4,810

$3,162 CA$4,378

9.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.8

-17.50%

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

Last update for Vancouver: June 2, 2026

Last update for Milton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Vancouver and $1,783 in Milton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $72.0 in Milton. Groceries flip the comparison at $415 vs $459, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

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 Milton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Milton differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,831 vs $3,044 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vancouver pays 10% more on average, 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: $1,995 in Vancouver versus $1,783 in Milton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vancouver runs roughly 85% less than in Milton. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,180 in Vancouver versus $556 in Milton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver 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 Milton 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 Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Milton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.