Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Oakville Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Oakville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,831 in Vancouver versus $2,638 in Oakville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,231 in Vancouver versus $3,811 in Oakville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,630 in Vancouver versus $4,984 in Oakville.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 7% more expensive than Oakville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 111% above, Oakville 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.39

$18.12 CA$25.20

0.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 CA$108

$76.1 CA$106

2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.09

$11.01 CA$15.30

-1.45%

Cappuccino

$3.98 CA$5.54

$3.80 CA$5.28

4.74%

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

$2.12 CA$2.95

$2.13 CA$2.96

-0.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 CA$2.47

$1.68 CA$2.33

5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.02

$5.80 CA$8.06

-0.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 CA$10.51

$6.52 CA$9.07

15.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 CA$3.23

$2.33 CA$3.25

-0.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 CA$4.31

$2.81 CA$3.91

10.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.40

$3.49 CA$4.85

11.46%

Eggs

$4.53 CA$6.30

$3.29 CA$4.57

37.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 CA$17.96

$13.35 CA$18.57

-3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 CA$19.67

$11.70 CA$16.27

20.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$21.89

$14.39 CA$20.01

9.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.92

$3.83 CA$5.33

11.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 CA$2.04

$1.25 CA$1.74

17.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 CA$5.59

$3.22 CA$4.47

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 CA$7.04

$4.14 CA$5.76

22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.20

$2.43 CA$3.38

24.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 CA$4.10

$2.84 CA$3.94

3.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.62

$2.18 CA$3.03

19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.62

$2.01 CA$2.79

-6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.20 CA$21.14

$13.51 CA$18.78

12.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.30 CA$19.88

$14.33 CA$19.93

-0.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 CA$4.27

$2.40 CA$3.34

27.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.01 CA$4.19

24.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.39

$2.91 CA$4.05

-16.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.9 CA$118

$101 CA$141

-16.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 CA$5.20

$3.63 CA$5.05

3.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 CA$2.09

$1.40 CA$1.94

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.43 CA$38.15

$23.78 CA$33.07

15.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.86

$1.11 CA$1.54

20.72%

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

$25.1K CA$34.9K

$25.2K CA$35.1K

-0.54%

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

$20.7K CA$28.8K

$21.5K CA$29.9K

-3.57%

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

$91.8 CA$128

$120 CA$167

-23.72%

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

$39.42 CA$54.8

$39.95 CA$55.6

-1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$84.9

$54.8 CA$76.2

11.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 CA$62.4

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.68 CA$21.81

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 CA$17.20

$11.67 CA$16.22

6.00%

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

$1,180 CA$1,641

$1,117 CA$1,553

5.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K CA$26.1K

$18.0K CA$25.1K

4.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 CA$87.2

$58.1 CA$80.8

7.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.13 CA$60.0

$38.77 CA$53.9

11.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 CA$132

$98.5 CA$137

-3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$113 CA$157

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,995 CA$2,774

$1,714 CA$2,383

16.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 CA$2,266

$1,406 CA$1,956

15.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,589 CA$4,991

$2,596 CA$3,610

38.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 CA$3,851

$2,318 CA$3,224

19.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,246 CA$12.9K

$4,218 CA$5,865

119.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,086 CA$9,854

$7,181 CA$9,987

-1.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,474 CA$4,831

$3,199 CA$4,448

8.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.62

-15.26%

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

Last update for Vancouver: June 2, 2026

Last update for Oakville: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,995 in Vancouver and $1,714 in Oakville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $76.0 in Oakville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $373 per month, with Oakville cheaper across the board.

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 Oakville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oakville wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oakville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Vancouver pays 9% 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 $1,714 in Oakville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Oakville runs roughly 19% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,180 in Vancouver versus $1,117 in Oakville. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Oakville is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Oakville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,638 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Oakville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Oakville 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 Oakville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.