Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and North Charleston, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $2,982 in North Charleston, SC, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in North Charleston, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in North Charleston, SC
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North Charleston, SC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

North Charleston, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Vancouver vs $2,982 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $2,684
North Charleston, SC $2,982

A couple spends around $3,878 per month in Vancouver vs $4,326 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $3,878
North Charleston, SC $4,326

A family of three spends $5,072 per month in Vancouver vs $5,670 in North Charleston, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $5,072
North Charleston, SC $5,670

Vancouver is about 10% cheaper than North Charleston, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Vancouver and North Charleston, SC sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, North Charleston, SC by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$20.30 $20.30

-14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$91.6 $91.6

-24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$12.16 $12.16

-13.16%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$5.92 $5.92

-34.29%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.93 $2.93

-30.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.43 $2.43

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$6.01 $6.01

-7.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$8.05 $8.05

-21.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.01 $1.01

128.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$3.59 $3.59

-30.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$4.63 $4.63

-4.10%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$5.10 $5.10

-20.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$7.00 $7.00

61.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$14.45 $14.45

-7.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$20.60 $20.60

-2.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$8.18 $8.18

-50.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.79 $1.79

-25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$5.18 $5.18

-24.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$6.30 $6.30

-35.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$4.41 $4.41

-38.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$3.21 $3.21

-9.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.61 $2.61

-3.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.95 $1.95

-16.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$9.64 $9.64

61.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$15.76 $15.76

-10.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.21 $2.21

21.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$2.97 $2.97

0.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.51 $2.51

-2.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$50.6 $50.6

64.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$2.93 $2.93

-7.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.27 $1.27

23.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$32.69 $32.69

-3.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$0.99 $0.99

39.39%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$34.9K $34.9K

-19.55%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$25.2K $25.2K

-21.37%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$225 $225

-63.91%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$76.4 $76.4

-51.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$83.6 $83.6

-38.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$17.20 $17.20

152.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$13.91 $13.91

-9.85%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$930 $930

17.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$18.4K $18.4K

8.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$66.0 $66.0

-13.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$44.41 $44.41

-26.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$112 $112

-17.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$132 $132

-28.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$2,004 $2,004

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,486 $1,486

-0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,465 $2,465

21.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,393 $2,393

1.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,865 $2,865

179.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$2,896 $2,896

122.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,375 $4,375

-13.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.57

-34.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for North Charleston, SC: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

North Charleston, SC

$1.5K 50.7% 0.1% $1.7

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

North Charleston, SC

$446 15.2% 11.8% $47

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

North Charleston, SC

$338 11.5% 24.2% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

North Charleston, SC

$385 13.1% 126% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

North Charleston, SC

$159 5.5% 28.2% $35

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

North Charleston, SC

$70 2.4% 32.5% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

North Charleston, SC

$45 1.5% 34.3% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,745 in Vancouver versus $2,004 in North Charleston, SC. 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 15% higher in North Charleston, SC, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $446 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 North Charleston, SC

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

97,471

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 11, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 11, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver North Charleston, SC 3,980 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
North Charleston, SC

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 North Charleston, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

North Charleston, SC costs about 11% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Vancouver and $4,473 in North Charleston, SC. 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.

Groceries cost about 12% more in North Charleston, SC, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver and $92.0 in North Charleston, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,684 in Vancouver and $2,982 in North Charleston, SC. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Vancouver. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, North Charleston, SC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.