Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and New Westminster

For one person, living is cheaper in New Westminster: $2,536 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in New Westminster
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New Westminster Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

New Westminster

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,536

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in New Westminster

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $2,536 in New Westminster, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
New Westminster $2,536

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $3,772 in New Westminster, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
New Westminster $3,772

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $5,008 in New Westminster, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
New Westminster $5,008

Vancouver costs about 7% more than New Westminster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Vancouver and New Westminster sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, New Westminster by 86%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$19.53 CA$27.29

-9.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$49.69 CA$69.4

45.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.26 CA$14.33

5.65%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.55 CA$4.96

10.14%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.88 CA$2.63

11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.65 CA$2.31

-0.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$6.14 CA$8.58

-6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$5.56 CA$7.77

14.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.79 CA$2.50

23.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.37 CA$3.32

11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.49 CA$4.88

34.10%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.23 CA$4.51

31.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$10.95 CA$15.30

8.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$15.61 CA$21.81

-15.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$27.23 CA$38.05

-25.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$3.91 CA$5.46

4.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.48 CA$2.07

-6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$3.78 CA$5.29

1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$3.71 CA$5.18

5.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.46 CA$3.44

12.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.20 CA$3.07

29.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.29 CA$3.20

13.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.85 CA$2.59

-14.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$15.50 CA$21.65

2.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$10.88 CA$15.21

28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.04 CA$2.85

25.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$2.81 CA$3.93

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.46 CA$3.44

3.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$91.0 CA$127

-7.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.17 CA$3.04

23.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.81 CA$2.52

-12.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.98

$22.72 CA$31.75

41.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.32 CA$1.84

9.85%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$24.4K CA$34.1K

12.77%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$20.9K CA$29.2K

1.90%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$141 CA$196

-41.34%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$43.47 CA$60.7

-13.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$65.0 CA$90.9

-20.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$33.49 CA$46.80

20.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$17.69 CA$24.72

-28.26%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$11.52 CA$16.09

9.90%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$794 CA$1,109

36.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$8,694 CA$12.1K

131.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$52.4 CA$73.2

11.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.65

$41.09 CA$57.4

-17.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$80.0 CA$112

21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$98.8 CA$138

-1.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,624 CA$2,269

11.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$1,306 CA$1,824

20.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$2,668 CA$3,729

20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,705

$2,310 CA$3,228

14.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,751 CA$6,639

80.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

$4,037 CA$5,641

64.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,216

$3,171 CA$4,431

17.72%

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 New Westminster: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

New Westminster

$1.3K 51.5% 17.1% $270

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

New Westminster

$404 15.9% 0.8% $3.1

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

New Westminster

$286 11.3% 3.1% $8.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

New Westminster

$249 9.8% 45.1% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

New Westminster

$122 4.8% 5.1% $6.6

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

New Westminster

$112 4.4% 6.8% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

New Westminster

$57 2.2% 14.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,624 in New Westminster. 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 18% higher in Vancouver. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $50 in New Westminster. Groceries tell a different story – $401 in Vancouver vs $404 in New Westminster – so Vancouver wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 New Westminster

🕒 Local time

08:47 8:47 AM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

58,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver New Westminster 16 km

From you

Vancouver
New Westminster

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 New Westminster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 7% more than New Westminster, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $3,803 in New Westminster. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Westminster, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,624 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,536 in New Westminster. That makes New Westminster about 7% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,080 per month in Vancouver and $794 in New Westminster. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,725 in Vancouver and $2,536 in New Westminster. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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