Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Portsmouth, NH

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $2,779 in Portsmouth, NH, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Portsmouth, NH outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
136

Cost of Living Index in Portsmouth, NH
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Portsmouth, NH Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Portsmouth, NH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,779

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Portsmouth, NH

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Vancouver vs $2,779 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Vancouver $2,626
Portsmouth, NH $2,779

A couple spends around $3,841 per month in Vancouver vs $4,019 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Vancouver $3,841
Portsmouth, NH $4,019

A family of three spends $5,056 per month in Vancouver vs $5,259 in Portsmouth, NH, rent included.

Vancouver $5,056
Portsmouth, NH $5,259

Vancouver is about 6% cheaper than Portsmouth, NH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vancouver and Portsmouth, NH sit above the global median – Vancouver by 95%, Portsmouth, NH by 106%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$20.79 $20.79

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$101 $101

-31.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$8.77 $8.77

20.98%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.88 $3.88

-1.29%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.57 $2.57

-20.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.51 $1.51

9.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$6.86 $6.86

-19.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$7.65 $7.65

-18.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.31 $1.31

63.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$5.28 $5.28

-52.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$4.18 $4.18

7.42%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.60 $3.60

13.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$11.20 $11.20

4.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$12.87 $12.87

1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$17.37 $17.37

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$5.28 $5.28

-24.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$2.14 $2.14

-35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$4.68 $4.68

-17.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.32 $4.32

-8.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$1.57 $1.57

73.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.64 $2.64

8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.44 $2.44

0.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.97 $2.97

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$14.22 $14.22

8.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$15.72 $15.72

-12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.78 $1.78

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$1.99 $1.99

45.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$5.93 $5.93

-54.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$4.83 $4.83

-67.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.86 $0.86

59.30%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$37.1K $37.1K

-25.45%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

-24.36%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$195 $195

-57.77%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$52.6 $52.6

-29.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$53.1 $53.1

-2.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$24.52 $24.52

74.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$12.03 $12.03

0.83%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$826 $826

33.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$33.8K $33.8K

-41.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$25.06 $25.06

125.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$37.36 $37.36

-10.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$51.1 $51.1

83.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$80.0 $80.0

17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$2,149 $2,149

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,581 $1,581

-5.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$4,227 $4,227

-27.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,454 $2,454

-1.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$4,838 $4,838

66.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$3,081 $3,081

109.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$6,066 $6,066

-37.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.1

-29.84%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Portsmouth, NH: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Portsmouth, NH

$1.6K 56.9% 5.6% $84

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Portsmouth, NH

$426 15.3% 8.7% $34

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Portsmouth, NH

$305 11% 13% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Portsmouth, NH

$301 10.8% 75.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Portsmouth, NH

$87 3.1% 30.3% $38

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Portsmouth, NH

$30 * 1.1% 70.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Portsmouth, NH

$49 1.8% 27.6% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Vancouver versus $2,149 in Portsmouth, NH. 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 61% higher in Portsmouth, NH, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $101 in Portsmouth, NH. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $426 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Portsmouth, NH

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

05:09 5:09 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

95,535

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Portsmouth, NH 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Portsmouth, NH

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, NH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth, NH costs about 6% more than Vancouver, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,939 per month in Vancouver and $4,169 in Portsmouth, NH. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver and $101 in Portsmouth, NH. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Portsmouth, NH, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,626 in Vancouver and $2,779 in Portsmouth, NH. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Vancouver costs $2,626 versus $2,779 in Portsmouth, NH. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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