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: $2,906 in Vancouver versus $2,650 in Oakville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,209 in Vancouver versus $3,843 in Oakville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Vancouver versus $5,036 in Oakville.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 10% more expensive than in Oakville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 118% above, Oakville 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CA$26.20

$18.43 CA$25.93

1.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$110

$76.9 CA$108

1.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.26

$11.08 CA$15.59

-2.17%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.53

$4.01 CA$5.64

-2.00%

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

$2.24 CA$3.16

$2.18 CA$3.07

2.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.46

$1.72 CA$2.43

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.51

$5.75 CA$8.10

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CA$10.27

$6.45 CA$9.07

13.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.24

$2.26 CA$3.18

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.32

$2.78 CA$3.91

10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.30

$3.51 CA$4.94

7.41%

Eggs

$4.32 CA$6.08

$3.36 CA$4.72

28.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.69

$13.53 CA$19.03

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.34

$11.46 CA$16.13

19.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CA$22.49

$14.42 CA$20.29

10.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$6.00

$3.81 CA$5.36

11.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.30 CA$1.83

16.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.52

$3.33 CA$4.68

17.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.15

$4.19 CA$5.90

21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.50

$2.52 CA$3.55

26.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.34

$2.91 CA$4.10

6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.13 CA$3.00

22.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.65

$1.99 CA$2.80

-5.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.74

$13.48 CA$18.96

14.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 CA$20.95

$13.85 CA$19.49

7.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.39

$2.45 CA$3.44

27.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 CA$5.35

$3.00 CA$4.23

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.40

$2.93 CA$4.12

-17.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$102 CA$144

-18.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.28

$3.68 CA$5.18

2.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.09

$1.40 CA$1.97

5.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 CA$37.95

$23.93 CA$33.67

12.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$1.15 CA$1.62

13.04%

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

$25.2K CA$35.4K

$24.8K CA$34.9K

1.44%

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

$20.6K CA$28.9K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

-4.59%

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

$91.8 CA$129

$123 CA$173

-25.21%

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

$39.34 CA$55.4

$39.32 CA$55.3

0.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$85.3

$54.3 CA$76.4

11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.58 CA$62.7

$44.49 CA$62.6

0.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 CA$22.35

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.13

$11.73 CA$16.50

3.84%

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

$1,185 CA$1,667

$1,097 CA$1,543

8.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$26.1K

$18.3K CA$25.7K

1.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$87.9

$57.7 CA$81.2

8.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 CA$59.6

$38.98 CA$54.9

8.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$134

$98.9 CA$139

-3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$162

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CA$2,785

$1,708 CA$2,403

15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 CA$2,313

$1,372 CA$1,931

19.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,577 CA$5,033

$2,577 CA$3,626

38.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 CA$3,915

$2,338 CA$3,289

19.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,754 CA$12.3K

$4,146 CA$5,834

111.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 CA$9,972

$6,990 CA$9,835

1.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 CA$4,756

$3,159 CA$4,446

6.99%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Oakville: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Vancouver and $1,708 in Oakville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 7% 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 $77.0 in Oakville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $372 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 10% 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.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,979 in Vancouver versus $1,708 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 23% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Vancouver versus $1,097 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 $2,650 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 10% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.