Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ottawa Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ottawa

😐 Solo nomad: Vancouver is 7.4% more expensive than Ottawa without rent, and 15.1% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Vancouver is 4.7% more expensive than Ottawa without rent, and 16.6% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.73 CA$25.66
$18.07 CA$24.76
3.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.5 CA$110
$73.3 CA$100
9.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.19 CA$15.34
$11.07 CA$15.16
1.08%
Cappuccino
$4.11 CA$5.64
$4.03 CA$5.52
1.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.12 CA$2.91
$2.16 CA$2.96
-1.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 CA$2.40
$1.65 CA$2.26
6.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.02 CA$8.25
$5.79 CA$7.93
3.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.18 CA$9.83
$6.52 CA$8.93
10.12%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.31 CA$3.16
$2.35 CA$3.22
-1.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.12 CA$4.27
$2.68 CA$3.67
16.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.79 CA$5.20
$3.31 CA$4.53
14.50%
Eggs
$4.39 CA$6.02
$3.66 CA$5.02
19.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 CA$17.83
$11.36 CA$15.56
14.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.20 CA$19.45
$13.05 CA$17.88
8.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.03 CA$21.96
$15.86 CA$21.73
1.07%
Apples (1kg)
$4.22 CA$5.78
$4.33 CA$5.93
-2.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 CA$2.03
$1.36 CA$1.86
8.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.86 CA$5.29
$3.46 CA$4.73
11.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.06 CA$6.93
$3.65 CA$5.00
38.63%
Potato (1kg)
$3.17 CA$4.34
$2.58 CA$3.53
22.87%
Onion (1kg)
$2.99 CA$4.09
$3.13 CA$4.29
-4.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.65 CA$3.63
$2.21 CA$3.02
19.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.90 CA$2.60
$1.56 CA$2.14
21.79%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.43 CA$21.14
$13.88 CA$19.02
11.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.43 CA$21.14
$10.89 CA$14.92
41.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.18 CA$4.35
$2.52 CA$3.45
26.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 CA$4.98
$3.25 CA$4.45
12.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 CA$3.18
$2.99 CA$4.09
-22.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$85.2 CA$117
$98.6 CA$135
-13.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.64 CA$4.98
$2.86 CA$3.92
27.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.47 CA$2.02
$1.41 CA$1.93
4.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.66 CA$36.52
$19.90 CA$27.26
33.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 CA$1.76
$1.16 CA$1.58
11.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.4K CA$34.8K
$25.5K CA$34.9K
-0.27%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.7K CA$28.3K
$21.8K CA$29.8K
-4.93%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$89.5 CA$123
$160 CA$220
-44.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.76 CA$55.9
$42.92 CA$58.8
-5.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.8 CA$83.3
$53.0 CA$72.6
14.66%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.63 CA$62.5
$47.48 CA$65.1
-3.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.56 CA$21.32
$15.78 CA$21.61
-1.39%
Cinema Ticket
$12.01 CA$16.45
$11.18 CA$15.31
7.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,183 CA$1,621
$916 CA$1,255
29.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.5K CA$25.4K
$15.9K CA$21.7K
16.88%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.1 CA$87.8
$53.8 CA$73.7
19.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.22 CA$59.2
$40.71 CA$55.8
6.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$97.2 CA$133
$91.5 CA$125
6.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 CA$160
$94.1 CA$129
24.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,966 CA$2,693
$1,475 CA$2,020
33.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,627 CA$2,230
$1,271 CA$1,741
28.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,474 CA$4,760
$2,338 CA$3,203
48.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,718 CA$3,724
$1,881 CA$2,577
44.51%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,232 CA$12.6K
$4,404 CA$6,034
109.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,000 CA$9,590
$4,123 CA$5,649
69.76%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,646 CA$4,995
$4,099 CA$5,616
-11.06%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.61
5.48
2.37%

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

Last update for Vancouver: March 2, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: March 1, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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