Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Portsmouth

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $929 a month against $2,684 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$929

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Portsmouth

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $929 in Portsmouth.

Vancouver $2,684
Portsmouth $929

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $1,626 in Portsmouth.

Vancouver $3,878
Portsmouth $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $2,323 in Portsmouth.

Vancouver $5,072
Portsmouth $2,323

Living in Vancouver is roughly 189% more expensive than in Portsmouth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 100% above, Portsmouth is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$5.50 EC$14.84

214.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$56.2 EC$152

22.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$6.83 EC$18.44

54.61%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$2.67 EC$7.20

45.69%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.19 EC$5.91

-6.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.87 EC$5.05

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$2.53 EC$6.84

118.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$3.73 EC$10.07

69.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$2.86 EC$7.72

-19.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$2.23 EC$6.03

12.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$2.01 EC$5.43

120.90%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$6.50 EC$17.55

-37.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$2.66 EC$7.17

324.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$5.48 EC$14.80

144.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$7.21 EC$19.46

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$2.57 EC$6.93

-48.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$4.00 EC$10.81

-2.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$4.14 EC$11.17

-2.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$2.90 EC$7.84

-6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$2.78 EC$7.51

3.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$1.82 EC$4.91

39.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.90 EC$5.13

-14.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$11.32 EC$30.56

24.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.87 EC$5.06

43.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$2.67 EC$7.20

11.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$0.75 EC$2.03

225.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$3.67 EC$9.90

-26.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$3.68 EC$9.93

-57.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

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

$81.2 CA$116

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$40.78 EC$110

-8.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$63.9 EC$172

-19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$36.97 EC$99.8

17.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$11.11 EC$30.01

12.87%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$55.9 EC$151

1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$23.90 EC$64.5

36.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$56.0 EC$151

65.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$65.9 EC$178

42.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$258 EC$696

577.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$223 EC$602

565.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$670 EC$1,808

347.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$617 EC$1,667

292.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$626 EC$1,691

506.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Portsmouth

–

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Portsmouth

–

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Portsmouth

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Portsmouth

–

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Portsmouth

–

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Portsmouth

–

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Portsmouth

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $258 in Portsmouth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 507% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $56.0 in Portsmouth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $290 per month, with Portsmouth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

09:53 9:53 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

3,633

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.331 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.03 XCD (1 XCD = 0.331 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Portsmouth 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Portsmouth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 189% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 507% 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: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $258 in Portsmouth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $69.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $929 in Portsmouth versus $2,684 in Vancouver, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.