Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and North Vancouver

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,683 a month against $2,792 in North Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver, Canada
North Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,683
/mo nomad
North Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,792
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in North Vancouver

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $2,792 in North Vancouver.

  • Vancouver $2,683
  • North Vancouver $2,792

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $4,190 in North Vancouver.

  • Vancouver $3,963
  • North Vancouver $4,190

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $5,588 in North Vancouver.

  • Vancouver $5,244
  • North Vancouver $5,588

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 4% less than in North Vancouver, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 98% above, North Vancouver 107% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.10 CA$25.37
$21.53 CA$30.18
-15.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$99.5
$64.6 CA$90.5
9.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.57 CA$14.81
$9.20 CA$12.89
14.89%
Cappuccino
$3.97 CA$5.56
$4.34 CA$6.08
-8.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.90
$2.26 CA$3.16
-8.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 CA$2.59
$1.72 CA$2.41
7.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 CA$7.95
$4.94 CA$6.92
14.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.61 CA$9.27
$6.22 CA$8.72
6.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.16 CA$3.02
$2.00 CA$2.81
8.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.58 CA$3.62
$2.89 CA$4.06
-10.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.30 CA$6.02
$3.39 CA$4.75
26.84%
Eggs
$4.09 CA$5.74
$3.14 CA$4.40
30.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.12 CA$16.98
$13.91 CA$19.49
-12.87%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.28 CA$18.62
$14.01 CA$19.64
-5.21%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.11 CA$28.19
$15.65 CA$21.93
28.50%
Apples (1kg)
$3.96 CA$5.56
$4.17 CA$5.84
-5.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.43 CA$2.00
$1.42 CA$1.99
0.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.71 CA$5.20
$4.38 CA$6.14
-15.30%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.92 CA$5.50
$4.18 CA$5.86
-6.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.87 CA$4.02
$2.91 CA$4.09
-1.37%
Onion (1kg)
$2.98 CA$4.17
$2.84 CA$3.98
4.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.61 CA$3.66
$2.80 CA$3.93
-6.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.63 CA$2.29
$2.12 CA$2.98
-23.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.94 CA$22.35
$14.32 CA$20.07
11.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.25 CA$19.97
$14.15 CA$19.83
0.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 CA$3.54
$2.15 CA$3.01
17.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 CA$4.03
$2.80 CA$3.92
2.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 CA$3.60
$2.57 CA$3.61
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.4 CA$118
$102 CA$143
-17.49%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.74 CA$3.85
$2.70 CA$3.79
1.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 CA$2.28
$1.52 CA$2.13
7.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.90 CA$44.71
$27.60 CA$38.69
15.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.46 CA$2.04
$1.28 CA$1.80
14.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.7K CA$37.4K
$28.0K CA$39.3K
-4.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.0K CA$29.5K
$20.8K CA$29.1K
1.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.2 CA$124
$128 CA$180
-31.19%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.72 CA$51.5
$37.76 CA$52.9
-2.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.81 CA$69.8
$48.56 CA$68.1
2.57%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.34 CA$63.6
$27.51 CA$38.57
64.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.13 CA$17.00
$24.73 CA$34.67
-50.95%
Cinema Ticket
$12.55 CA$17.59
$12.29 CA$17.23
2.12%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,055 CA$1,479
$1,049 CA$1,470
0.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.5K CA$39.9K
$13.0K CA$18.2K
118.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$56.4 CA$79.1
$65.1 CA$91.2
-13.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.37 CA$48.18
$38.80 CA$54.4
-11.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.8 CA$126
$82.3 CA$115
9.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.3 CA$132
$111 CA$155
-14.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,738 CA$2,436
$1,976 CA$2,770
-12.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,528 CA$2,143
$1,567 CA$2,196
-2.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,107 CA$4,355
$3,383 CA$4,742
-8.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,547 CA$3,570
$2,800 CA$3,925
-9.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,540 CA$12.0K
$8,282 CA$11.6K
3.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,328 CA$8,870
$5,889 CA$8,255
7.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
North Vancouver
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,770 CA$5,284
$3,142 CA$4,405
19.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.24
4.69
-9.59%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for North Vancouver: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
North Vancouver
$1.6K 2.5% $38
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$398
North Vancouver
$397 0.3% $1
Eating Out
Vancouver
$281
North Vancouver
$305 8.4% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$175
North Vancouver
$215 22.8% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$124
North Vancouver
$134 7.9% $9.8
Getting Around
Vancouver
$106
North Vancouver
$123 16.4% $17
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$70
North Vancouver
$52 26% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $1,976 in North Vancouver. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $71 in Vancouver vs $65 in North Vancouver for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $397 per month, with North Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇦 North Vancouver
🕒 Local time
21:41 9:41 PM
21:41 9:41 PM
Same time as Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
48,200
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

On the map
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  • Vancouver North Vancouver 7 km
From you
  • Vancouver
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Vancouver vs North Vancouver: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Vancouver and in North Vancouver?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,683 in Vancouver and $2,792 in North Vancouver, so Vancouver is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Vancouver or North Vancouver?
Average pay runs 20% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Vancouver and in North Vancouver?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,738 in Vancouver versus $1,976 in North Vancouver. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Vancouver and North Vancouver?
Childcare runs $1,055 in Vancouver versus $1,049 in North Vancouver. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in North Vancouver – a meal for two runs $65 versus $71 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Vancouver and North Vancouver?
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.

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