Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Prince Rupert, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Prince Rupert, BC: $1,989 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
95

Cost of Living Index in Prince Rupert, BC
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Prince Rupert, BC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Prince Rupert, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,989

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Prince Rupert, BC

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

A single person spends $2,683 per month in Vancouver vs $1,989 in Prince Rupert, BC, rent included.

Vancouver $2,683
Prince Rupert, BC $1,989

A couple spends around $3,963 per month in Vancouver vs $3,170 in Prince Rupert, BC, rent included.

Vancouver $3,963
Prince Rupert, BC $3,170

A family of three spends $5,244 per month in Vancouver vs $4,350 in Prince Rupert, BC, rent included.

Vancouver $5,244
Prince Rupert, BC $4,350

Vancouver costs about 35% more than Prince Rupert, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Prince Rupert, BC sit above the global median – Vancouver by 98%, Prince Rupert, BC by 47%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$17.71 CA$24.82

2.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$65.4 CA$91.7

8.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$10.59 CA$14.84

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$3.81 CA$5.33

4.20%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.98 CA$2.78

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.70 CA$2.38

8.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$5.20 CA$7.29

9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$5.63 CA$7.89

17.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$2.01 CA$2.82

7.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$2.62 CA$3.67

-1.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$3.34 CA$4.68

28.74%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$5.07 CA$7.10

-19.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$10.70 CA$15.01

13.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$13.09 CA$18.36

1.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$13.44 CA$18.85

49.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$1.74 CA$2.44

127.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.05 CA$1.47

36.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$3.97 CA$5.56

-6.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$3.90 CA$5.46

0.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$2.43 CA$3.41

18.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$2.12 CA$2.97

40.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.48 CA$3.48

5.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$1.68 CA$2.35

-2.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$14.12 CA$19.79

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$13.04 CA$18.27

9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$2.69 CA$3.77

-6.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.04 CA$4.26

-5.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.35 CA$3.30

9.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

$62.3 CA$87.3

35.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.99 CA$4.19

-8.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.50 CA$2.10

8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$22.18 CA$31.10

43.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.33 CA$1.86

9.77%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$30.9K CA$43.3K

-13.53%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$21.2K CA$29.7K

-0.82%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$133 CA$186

-33.62%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$44.63 CA$62.6

-17.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$61.4 CA$86.1

-18.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$35.70 CA$50.0

27.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$17.58 CA$24.64

-31.00%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$11.29 CA$15.82

11.16%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$665 CA$932

58.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$14.7K CA$20.5K

94.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$59.1 CA$82.8

-4.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$39.51 CA$55.4

-13.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$84.3 CA$118

6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$107 CA$150

-12.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$1,081 CA$1,515

60.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$852 CA$1,195

79.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$2,042 CA$2,862

52.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$1,786 CA$2,503

42.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

$3,937 CA$5,518

116.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,870

$3,214 CA$4,506

96.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,284

$3,158 CA$4,426

19.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.68

-9.40%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Prince Rupert, BC: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Prince Rupert, BC

$852 42.9% 44.2% $676

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Prince Rupert, BC

$355 17.9% 10.8% $43

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Prince Rupert, BC

$271 13.6% 3.7% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Prince Rupert, BC

$239 12% 36.7% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Prince Rupert, BC

$131 6.6% 5.6% $6.9

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Prince Rupert, BC

$82 4.1% 22.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Prince Rupert, BC

$58 2.9% 17.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,738 in Vancouver versus $1,081 in Prince Rupert, BC. 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 19% 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 $71 in Vancouver versus $65 in Prince Rupert, BC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $355 – making Prince Rupert, BC the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Prince Rupert, BC

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

12,220

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Prince Rupert, BC 750 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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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 Prince Rupert, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Vancouver is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,024 per month in Vancouver and $2,984 in Prince Rupert, BC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Prince Rupert, BC, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,081 there versus $1,738 in Vancouver.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Prince Rupert, BC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,055 per month in Vancouver and $665 in Prince Rupert, BC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Prince Rupert, BC, where all-in costs run around $1,989, than in Vancouver at $2,683. In Prince Rupert, BC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Prince Rupert, BC – 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 Rupert, BC. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.