Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Prince Albert

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince Albert: $1,710 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Prince Albert
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Prince Albert Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Prince Albert

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,710

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Prince Albert

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $1,710 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Prince Albert $1,710

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $2,442 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Prince Albert $2,442

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $3,174 in Prince Albert, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Prince Albert $3,174

Vancouver costs about 59% more than Prince Albert, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Prince Albert sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Prince Albert by 26%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.67

$17.52 CA$24.49

0.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$71.2 CA$99.5

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.15

$9.02 CA$12.61

20.18%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.68 CA$5.14

6.25%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.06 CA$2.89

1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.86 CA$2.60

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$4.33 CA$6.06

32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$6.24 CA$8.73

1.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.21 CA$1.69

82.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$1.45 CA$2.02

82.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$2.45 CA$3.43

91.02%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.61 CA$5.05

17.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.67

$6.94 CA$9.70

71.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$8.46 CA$11.83

55.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$4.16 CA$5.81

390.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$4.07 CA$5.69

0.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.48 CA$2.07

-6.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$4.28 CA$5.99

-10.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$3.19 CA$4.45

22.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.11 CA$2.95

31.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.18 CA$3.04

30.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.89 CA$4.04

-10.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.50 CA$2.09

6.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$10.62 CA$14.85

49.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$13.93 CA$19.48

0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.85 CA$3.99

-9.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.48 CA$4.86

-13.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.56 CA$2.18

63.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$39.11 CA$54.7

115.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.00 CA$4.19

-11.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$0.84 CA$1.17

88.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.99

$14.25 CA$19.91

125.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.08 CA$1.51

34.26%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

23.77%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$22.0K CA$30.8K

-3.27%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$53.2 CA$74.4

54.90%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$47.67 CA$66.6

-21.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$60.3 CA$84.3

-14.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$118 CA$165

-65.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$16.03 CA$22.40

-20.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.70

$9.52 CA$13.30

32.98%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$492 CA$688

119.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$14.5K CA$20.3K

38.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$49.52 CA$69.2

18.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.66

$35.48 CA$49.58

-3.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$86.9 CA$121

11.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$107 CA$150

-9.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$914 CA$1,277

98.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$694 CA$970

126.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,496

$1,432 CA$2,001

124.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,706

$780 CA$1,090

239.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,334 CA$6,057

98.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,293

$3,716 CA$5,194

78.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,217

$2,755 CA$3,851

35.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.8

-10.83%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Prince Albert: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Prince Albert

$694 40.6% 55.9% $881

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Prince Albert

$278 16.3% 30.6% $123

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Prince Albert

$261 15.3% 5.7% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Prince Albert

$161 9.4% 6.1% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Prince Albert

$126 7.3% 2.8% $3.6

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Prince Albert

$53 3.1% 49.9% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Prince Albert

$137 8% 109% $71

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $914 in Prince Albert. 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 35% higher in Vancouver, 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 $72 in Vancouver versus $71 in Prince Albert. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $278 – making Prince Albert the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Prince Albert

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

15:00 3:00 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

35,129

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Prince Albert 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Prince Albert

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 Prince Albert: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 59% more than Prince Albert, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $2,565 in Prince Albert. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prince Albert, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $914 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $1,710 in Prince Albert. That makes Prince Albert about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $1,080 per month in Vancouver and $492 in Prince Albert. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Prince Albert, where all-in costs run around $1,710, than in Vancouver at $2,725. In Prince Albert it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prince Albert – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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