Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Ottawa: $2,416 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
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Ottawa Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,416

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Ottawa

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $2,416 in Ottawa, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Ottawa $2,416

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $3,537 in Ottawa, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Ottawa $3,537

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $4,658 in Ottawa, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Ottawa $4,658

Vancouver costs about 10% more than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Ottawa sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Ottawa by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.62 CA$24.91

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$78.6 CA$111

-9.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.61 CA$15.00

2.07%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$4.04 CA$5.71

-2.48%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.08 CA$2.94

2.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.75 CA$2.48

-5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.71 CA$8.08

0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$6.47 CA$9.14

-1.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.40 CA$3.39

-10.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.96 CA$4.19

-13.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$2.88 CA$4.07

58.33%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.23 CA$4.57

25.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$11.51 CA$16.27

5.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.61 CA$16.41

13.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$19.02 CA$26.90

6.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.74 CA$5.29

8.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.27 CA$1.79

11.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.90 CA$5.52

1.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.61 CA$5.10

8.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.57 CA$3.64

2.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.39 CA$3.38

17.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.61 CA$3.69

-4.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.47 CA$2.08

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$14.45 CA$20.43

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$12.47 CA$17.63

14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$2.61 CA$3.68

-1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.18 CA$4.50

-8.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.93 CA$4.14

-12.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$94.6 CA$134

-10.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.68 CA$3.79

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.53 CA$2.16

6.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$19.08 CA$26.98

66.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.23 CA$1.74

15.45%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.6K CA$39.0K

-1.69%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$22.3K CA$31.5K

-3.01%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$139 CA$196

-41.48%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$37.37 CA$52.8

-0.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$51.1 CA$72.3

2.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$48.10 CA$68.0

-7.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$27.89 CA$39.43

-55.65%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$12.68 CA$17.93

-0.47%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$928 CA$1,311

17.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$16.1K CA$22.7K

24.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$57.3 CA$81.0

2.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$37.28 CA$52.7

-10.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$103 CA$146

-6.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$97.5 CA$138

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,437 CA$2,031

22.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,215 CA$1,717

24.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,310 CA$3,266

35.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,871 CA$2,645

31.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$4,326 CA$6,115

88.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$4,547 CA$6,428

39.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,730 CA$5,274

-3.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.16

2.88%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.3% 19.5% $294

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Ottawa

$373 15.4% 6.6% $26

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Ottawa

$278 11.5% 0.8% $2.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Ottawa

$227 9.4% 32.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Ottawa

$133 5.5% 4% $5.2

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Ottawa

$117 4.8% 10.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Ottawa

$73 3% 5.6% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,437 in Ottawa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 4% higher in Ottawa, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver versus $79.0 in Ottawa. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Vancouver vs $373 in Ottawa – so Ottawa wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

12:03 12:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

1,000,000 Capital

💱 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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Vancouver Ottawa 3,540 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver, $2,416 in Ottawa – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $3,623 in Ottawa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ottawa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,416 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 10%.

Public transport costs about 12% less in Ottawa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Ottawa, where all-in costs run around $2,416, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Ottawa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ottawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,416 in Ottawa to $2,662 in Vancouver. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ottawa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.