Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Prince George Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Prince George

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,860 in Vancouver versus $2,235 in Prince George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,199 in Vancouver versus $3,385 in Prince George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,538 in Vancouver versus $4,536 in Prince George.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 28% more expensive than Prince George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 113% above, Prince George 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.50 CA$25.84

$18.33 CA$25.59

0.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.5 CA$111

$72.3 CA$101

10.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 CA$15.52

$8.52 CA$11.89

30.40%

Cappuccino

$4.11 CA$5.74

$3.99 CA$5.58

3.01%

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

$2.21 CA$3.08

$2.25 CA$3.15

-1.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$2.34 CA$3.27

-25.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.77 CA$8.06

$5.85 CA$8.16

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CA$10.40

$8.32 CA$11.62

-10.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.07

$1.97 CA$2.75

11.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CA$4.49

$2.45 CA$3.42

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.14

$4.85 CA$6.78

-24.12%

Eggs

$4.39 CA$6.13

$5.05 CA$7.05

-13.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 CA$17.90

$6.54 CA$9.14

96.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.20 CA$19.82

$13.13 CA$18.33

8.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.04 CA$22.40

$16.84 CA$23.52

-4.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 CA$6.12

$4.29 CA$5.99

2.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CA$2.13

$2.81 CA$3.92

-45.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.07 CA$5.68

$5.17 CA$7.22

-21.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.18 CA$7.23

$5.15 CA$7.20

0.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.25

$3.09 CA$4.31

-1.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.14

$3.02 CA$4.22

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 CA$3.81

$3.04 CA$4.24

-10.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.61

$2.96 CA$4.14

-36.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.40 CA$21.51

$14.81 CA$20.69

3.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.00

$10.68 CA$14.91

34.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 CA$4.35

$5.57 CA$7.77

-44.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CA$5.12

$2.88 CA$4.02

27.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 CA$3.37

$2.80 CA$3.90

-13.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.6 CA$115

$43.66 CA$61.0

89.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 CA$5.10

$4.21 CA$5.88

-13.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$1.50 CA$2.09

-0.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.94 CA$37.63

$25.33 CA$35.38

6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.78

$1.27 CA$1.77

0.79%

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

$24.9K CA$34.8K

$25.4K CA$35.4K

-1.75%

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

$21.0K CA$29.3K

$22.1K CA$30.9K

-5.20%

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

$92.2 CA$129

$175 CA$245

-47.42%

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

$40.43 CA$56.5

$48.77 CA$68.1

-17.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 CA$86.6

$61.4 CA$85.8

0.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 CA$62.2

$44.26 CA$61.8

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.75 CA$21.99

$18.28 CA$25.53

-13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 CA$17.02

$9.28 CA$12.95

31.36%

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

$1,164 CA$1,625

$595 CA$832

95.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K CA$25.3K

$11.7K CA$16.3K

54.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 CA$87.9

$63.0 CA$88.0

-0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.23 CA$59.0

$40.91 CA$57.1

3.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$137

$96.0 CA$134

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$165

$152 CA$212

-22.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,977 CA$2,761

$973 CA$1,358

103.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,325

$911 CA$1,273

82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,579 CA$4,997

$1,742 CA$2,433

105.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,798 CA$3,907

$1,618 CA$2,260

72.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,881 CA$12.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,873 CA$9,598

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,432 CA$4,792

$3,137 CA$4,381

9.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.32

-11.23%

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

Last update for Vancouver: June 7, 2026

Last update for Prince George: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,977 in Vancouver and $973 in Prince George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 9% 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: $80.0 in Vancouver vs $72.0 in Prince George. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $422, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

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 George: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Prince George differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($2,860 vs $2,235 including rent). Prince George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vancouver pays 9% more on average, 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: $1,977 in Vancouver versus $973 in Prince George. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Prince George runs roughly 89% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,164 in Vancouver versus $595 in Prince George. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,235 in Prince George versus $2,860 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Prince George but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Prince George 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.

Expats usually find Prince George gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.