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: $2,818 in Vancouver versus $2,228 in Prince George.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,226 in Vancouver versus $3,349 in Prince George.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Vancouver versus $4,470 in Prince George.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 26% more expensive than in Prince George, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 112% above, Prince George 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 CA$26.24

$18.09 CA$25.35

3.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.5 CA$110

$73.0 CA$102

7.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 CA$15.20

$8.70 CA$12.18

24.71%

Cappuccino

$4.10 CA$5.75

$3.87 CA$5.43

5.94%

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

$2.13 CA$2.98

$2.26 CA$3.17

-5.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.47

$2.34 CA$3.28

-24.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.76 CA$8.08

$5.97 CA$8.37

-3.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.23 CA$10.13

$8.45 CA$11.84

-14.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 CA$3.20

$2.01 CA$2.82

13.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CA$4.51

$2.34 CA$3.28

37.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.18

$4.82 CA$6.76

-23.24%

Eggs

$4.36 CA$6.10

$5.12 CA$7.17

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 CA$18.02

$6.65 CA$9.32

93.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.24 CA$19.96

$13.12 CA$18.38

8.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.74 CA$22.05

$16.55 CA$23.19

-4.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.03

$4.14 CA$5.80

3.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.13

$2.90 CA$4.07

-47.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.59

$5.22 CA$7.31

-23.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.13 CA$7.19

$5.16 CA$7.24

-0.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.29

$3.09 CA$4.34

-0.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 CA$4.27

$2.98 CA$4.17

2.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.68

$3.21 CA$4.50

-18.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 CA$2.62

$2.87 CA$4.03

-34.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.70 CA$21.99

$14.88 CA$20.85

5.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.59 CA$20.44

$10.79 CA$15.12

35.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 CA$4.50

$5.55 CA$7.78

-42.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 CA$5.03

$2.89 CA$4.05

24.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.42

$2.70 CA$3.78

-9.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 CA$117

$44.38 CA$62.2

87.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 CA$5.18

$4.16 CA$5.83

-11.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 CA$2.08

$1.48 CA$2.07

0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.37 CA$38.35

$25.56 CA$35.82

7.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.26 CA$1.77

5.56%

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

$25.1K CA$35.2K

$25.5K CA$35.7K

-1.38%

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

$20.7K CA$29.0K

$22.0K CA$30.8K

-5.65%

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

$90.0 CA$126

$178 CA$249

-49.30%

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

$40.83 CA$57.2

$49.97 CA$70.0

-18.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.1 CA$85.6

$61.4 CA$86.0

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.73 CA$64.1

$45.07 CA$63.1

1.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 CA$21.64

$18.27 CA$25.60

-15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$12.01 CA$16.83

$9.47 CA$13.27

26.82%

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

$1,162 CA$1,627

$609 CA$853

90.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K CA$25.3K

$12.0K CA$16.8K

50.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 CA$89.1

$62.5 CA$87.6

1.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.32 CA$59.3

$40.17 CA$56.3

5.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 CA$136

$97.7 CA$137

-0.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$162

$157 CA$220

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,024 CA$2,836

$977 CA$1,369

107.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 CA$2,261

$914 CA$1,280

76.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,464 CA$4,854

$1,730 CA$2,424

100.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 CA$3,843

$1,629 CA$2,282

68.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,872 CA$12.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,046 CA$9,872

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,312 CA$4,640

$3,017 CA$4,227

9.79%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Prince George: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,024 in Vancouver and $977 in Prince George. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 10% 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: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $73.0 in Prince George. Groceries flip the comparison at $417 vs $421, 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 26% in total monthly costs ($2,818 vs $2,228 including rent). Prince George is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% 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: $2,024 in Vancouver versus $977 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 88% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,162 in Vancouver versus $609 in Prince George. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,228 in Prince George versus $2,818 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 26% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.