Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Oshawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Oshawa: $2,370 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Oshawa
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Oshawa Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Oshawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,370

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Oshawa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $2,370 in Oshawa.

Vancouver $2,683
Oshawa $2,370

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $3,414 in Oshawa.

Vancouver $3,963
Oshawa $3,414

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $4,457 in Oshawa.

Vancouver $5,244
Oshawa $4,457

Living in Vancouver is roughly 13% more expensive than in Oshawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 98% above, Oshawa 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$14.25 CA$19.98

27.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$63.6 CA$89.1

11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$8.33 CA$11.67

26.89%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$3.54 CA$4.97

12.15%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.77 CA$2.48

16.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.36 CA$1.91

36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$4.86 CA$6.81

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$6.04 CA$8.47

9.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$2.91 CA$4.08

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$2.91 CA$4.07

-11.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$4.12 CA$5.77

4.37%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$2.97 CA$4.16

37.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$10.14 CA$14.21

19.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$13.74 CA$19.27

-3.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$16.60 CA$23.27

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$4.20 CA$5.89

-5.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.22 CA$1.71

17.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$2.94 CA$4.12

26.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$3.84 CA$5.39

2.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$3.36 CA$4.71

-14.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$2.57 CA$3.60

15.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.35 CA$3.29

11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.73 CA$2.42

-5.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$14.29 CA$20.03

11.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$12.63 CA$17.70

12.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$3.53 CA$4.94

-28.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.49 CA$4.89

-17.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.82 CA$3.95

-8.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

$87.1 CA$122

-3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.74 CA$3.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.44 CA$2.01

13.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$19.58 CA$27.44

62.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.24 CA$1.74

17.74%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$28.8K CA$40.3K

-7.19%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$22.9K CA$32.1K

-8.24%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$139 CA$195

-36.49%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$37.94 CA$53.2

-3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$54.3 CA$76.2

-8.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$22.91 CA$32.11

97.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$29.28 CA$41.05

-58.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$10.86 CA$15.23

15.56%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$922 CA$1,292

14.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$8,083 CA$11.3K

252.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$58.3 CA$81.7

-3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$57.7 CA$80.8

-40.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$107 CA$150

-16.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$129 CA$181

-26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$1,400 CA$1,963

24.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$1,207 CA$1,692

26.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$2,003 CA$2,807

55.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$1,824 CA$2,556

39.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

$5,158 CA$7,230

65.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,870

$10.3K CA$14.5K

-38.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,284

$3,049 CA$4,274

23.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.53

-6.40%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Oshawa: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Oshawa

$1.2K 50.9% 21% $321

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Oshawa

$390 16.5% 2.1% $8.3

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Oshawa

$230 9.7% 18.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Oshawa

$231 9.8% 32.3% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Oshawa

$158 6.7% 28% $35

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Oshawa

$108 4.6% 2.7% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Oshawa

$45 1.9% 36.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $1,400 in Oshawa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Vancouver vs $64 in Oshawa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $390 per month, with Oshawa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Oshawa

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

22:04 10:04 PM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

159,458

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Oshawa 3,380 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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 Oshawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oshawa wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Oshawa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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: $1,738 in Vancouver versus $1,400 in Oshawa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Vancouver runs roughly 3% less than in Oshawa. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $2,683 per month in Vancouver versus $2,370 in Oshawa – Oshawa is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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

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.

It comes down to priorities – Oshawa wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.