Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Oakville

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Oakville: $2,662 and $2,641 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Oakville
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Oakville Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Oakville

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Oakville

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,641 in Oakville.

Vancouver $2,662
Oakville $2,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,848 in Oakville.

Vancouver $3,916
Oakville $3,848

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $5,054 in Oakville.

Vancouver $5,170
Oakville $5,054

Living in Vancouver is roughly 1% more expensive than in Oakville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Oakville 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$14.43 CA$20.39

24.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$71.8 CA$102

-1.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$9.34 CA$13.20

15.95%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.84 CA$5.42

2.60%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.20 CA$3.10

-3.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.74 CA$2.45

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.83 CA$8.24

-1.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$6.48 CA$9.17

-1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.56 CA$3.62

-16.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$3.30 CA$4.67

-22.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.50 CA$4.94

30.29%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.18 CA$5.91

-2.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$10.42 CA$14.74

16.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.95 CA$16.90

10.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$19.22 CA$27.17

5.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.34 CA$4.72

21.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.93 CA$2.72

-26.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.28 CA$4.64

21.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$2.93 CA$4.14

33.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.34 CA$3.31

12.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.60 CA$3.68

8.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.25 CA$3.18

10.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.73 CA$2.45

-8.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$14.25 CA$20.14

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$13.23 CA$18.71

8.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$3.20 CA$4.52

-19.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.41 CA$3.41

20.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.77 CA$3.92

-7.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$97.2 CA$137

-13.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.16 CA$1.64

22.41%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$28.1K CA$39.7K

-3.48%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$21.3K CA$30.1K

1.50%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$91.0 CA$129

-10.58%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$28.41 CA$40.16

30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$45.95 CA$65.0

14.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$42.03 CA$59.4

5.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$9.76 CA$13.80

29.30%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,154 CA$1,632

-5.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$16.6K CA$23.5K

19.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$68.2 CA$96.3

-14.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$93.2 CA$132

-64.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$128 CA$181

-24.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$107 CA$152

-10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,859 CA$2,628

-5.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,497 CA$2,116

0.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$3,590 CA$5,075

-13.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,384 CA$3,371

3.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$4,866 CA$6,879

67.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$6,100 CA$8,623

4.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,090 CA$4,369

16.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.26

-18.63%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Oakville: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Oakville

$1.5K 56.7% 0.7% $11

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Oakville

$383 14.5% 3.9% $16

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Oakville

$247 9.4% 11.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Oakville

$165 6.3% 3.4% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Oakville

$178 6.8% 39.8% $51

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Oakville

$108 * 4.1% 2.6% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Oakville

$62 2.3% 11.5% $8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,859 in Oakville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 16% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $72.0 in Oakville. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $383, with Oakville cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Oakville

🕒 Local time

10:45 10:45 AM

13:45 1:45 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

193,832

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Oakville 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 1% 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 16% 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: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,859 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 15% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $1,154 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 $2,641 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 1% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.