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

😐 Solo nomad: Vancouver is 5.1% more expensive than Ottawa without rent, and 12.5% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Vancouver is 8.1% more expensive than Ottawa without rent, and 19.4% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.26 CA$25.01
$18.48 CA$25.32
-1.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.8 CA$108
$74.7 CA$102
5.49%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.17 CA$15.30
$11.47 CA$15.72
-2.62%
Cappuccino
$3.92 CA$5.37
$4.01 CA$5.50
-2.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 CA$3.05
$2.08 CA$2.85
7.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 CA$2.51
$1.67 CA$2.28
9.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.85 CA$8.02
$5.82 CA$7.98
0.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.17 CA$9.82
$6.65 CA$9.11
7.82%
πŸ›’ Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.20 CA$3.02
$2.27 CA$3.11
-3.08%
White Bread (500g)
$3.22 CA$4.41
$2.77 CA$3.80
16.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.13
$3.20 CA$4.38
17.19%
Eggs
$4.36 CA$5.98
$3.52 CA$4.83
23.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.71 CA$17.41
$11.35 CA$15.55
11.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.90 CA$19.04
$13.09 CA$17.94
6.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.66 CA$21.45
$15.57 CA$21.32
0.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.24 CA$5.81
$4.16 CA$5.71
1.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 CA$2.11
$1.36 CA$1.86
13.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.87 CA$5.30
$3.40 CA$4.66
13.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.08 CA$6.96
$3.82 CA$5.23
32.98%
Potato (1kg)
$3.20 CA$4.38
$2.57 CA$3.52
24.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.93 CA$4.02
$3.19 CA$4.38
-8.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.63 CA$3.60
$2.20 CA$3.02
19.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 CA$2.55
$1.52 CA$2.08
22.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.36 CA$21.04
$14.19 CA$19.44
8.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.48 CA$21.20
$11.03 CA$15.12
40.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.10 CA$4.25
$2.50 CA$3.43
24.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 CA$5.12
$3.23 CA$4.43
15.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.38 CA$3.27
$2.87 CA$3.94
-17.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.0 CA$115
$98.7 CA$135
-14.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.66 CA$5.01
$2.85 CA$3.90
28.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.48 CA$2.03
$1.48 CA$2.02
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.98 CA$36.96
$19.56 CA$26.79
37.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 CA$1.76
$1.15 CA$1.57
11.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.6K CA$35.0K
$24.6K CA$33.7K
3.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CA$28.6K
$22.3K CA$30.6K
-6.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$91.0 CA$125
$161 CA$220
-43.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.15 CA$55.0
$43.60 CA$59.7
-7.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$60.8 CA$83.3
$51.8 CA$71.0
17.32%
πŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.05 CA$63.1
$47.79 CA$65.5
-3.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.77 CA$21.61
$15.92 CA$21.81
-0.94%
Cinema Ticket
$12.25 CA$16.79
$10.95 CA$15.00
11.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,165 CA$1,596
$889 CA$1,218
31.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.4K CA$25.2K
$16.0K CA$21.9K
14.86%
πŸ‘•πŸ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.6 CA$85.7
$54.3 CA$74.4
15.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.30 CA$58.0
$40.62 CA$55.7
4.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.1 CA$134
$89.6 CA$123
9.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 CA$156
$95.6 CA$131
19.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,988 CA$2,724
$1,502 CA$2,058
32.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,669 CA$2,287
$1,268 CA$1,737
31.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,580 CA$4,904
$2,267 CA$3,106
57.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,728 CA$3,738
$1,883 CA$2,579
44.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$9,014 CA$12.3K
$4,342 CA$5,949
107.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,085 CA$9,707
$4,174 CA$5,719
69.73%
πŸ’΅ Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Ottawa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,588 CA$4,916
$4,030 CA$5,521
-10.96%
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: April 12, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: April 14, 2026

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

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