Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Quebec City

For one person, living is cheaper in Quebec City: $1,935 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Quebec City
Learn more

Quebec City Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Quebec City

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Quebec City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $1,935 in Quebec City.

Vancouver $2,725
Quebec City $1,935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $2,912 in Quebec City.

Vancouver $4,039
Quebec City $2,912

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $3,889 in Quebec City.

Vancouver $5,352
Quebec City $3,889

Living in Vancouver is roughly 41% more expensive than in Quebec City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Quebec City 42% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$21.22 CA$29.65

-16.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$63.9 CA$89.3

13.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.75 CA$15.03

0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.83 CA$5.35

2.09%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$2.13 CA$2.97

-1.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.50 CA$2.09

9.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.68 CA$7.94

1.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$5.88 CA$8.21

8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.06 CA$2.88

7.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.89 CA$4.04

-8.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$4.14 CA$5.79

13.04%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.15 CA$4.40

34.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$9.13 CA$12.76

30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$10.99 CA$15.35

19.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$10.62 CA$14.84

92.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$4.17 CA$5.82

-1.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.55 CA$2.17

-10.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$3.71 CA$5.19

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$4.04 CA$5.64

-2.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.93 CA$4.10

-5.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.86 CA$3.99

-0.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.73 CA$3.81

-4.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.52 CA$2.12

4.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$14.78 CA$20.65

7.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$11.35 CA$15.87

23.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$3.24 CA$4.52

-20.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.44 CA$4.81

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.91 CA$4.06

-12.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$70.6 CA$98.7

19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.89 CA$4.04

-7.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.48 CA$2.07

6.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.98

$35.46 CA$49.54

-9.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.30 CA$1.81

11.54%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$28.7K CA$40.1K

-4.26%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$22.2K CA$31.0K

-3.81%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$100 CA$140

-17.69%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$32.19 CA$44.98

16.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$45.61 CA$63.7

13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$33.12 CA$46.27

22.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

$12.66 CA$17.69

0.24%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$10.56 CA$14.75

19.89%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$676 CA$945

59.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$9,492 CA$13.3K

112.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$59.3 CA$82.9

-1.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.65

$50.9 CA$71.2

-33.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$89.8 CA$126

7.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$109 CA$152

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,029 CA$1,437

76.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$821 CA$1,147

91.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$1,633 CA$2,281

97.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,705

$1,333 CA$1,862

98.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,733 CA$6,614

81.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

$2,728 CA$3,812

143.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,216

$2,906 CA$4,061

28.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.44

-3.60%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Quebec City: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Quebec City

$821 42.4% 47.9% $755

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Quebec City

$347 18% 13.3% $53

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Quebec City

$303 15.6% 9.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Quebec City

$178 9.2% 3.7% $6.4

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Quebec City

$139 7.2% 7.6% $9.8

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Quebec City

$93 4.8% 11.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Quebec City

$54 2.8% 17.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,029 in Quebec City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 28% 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: $72 in Vancouver vs $64 in Quebec City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $347 per month, with Quebec City cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Quebec City

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

10:16 10:16 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

530,168

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Quebec City 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Quebec City

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 Quebec City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Quebec City wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Quebec City the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 28% 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,029 in Quebec City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $1,935 in Quebec City – Quebec City is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Quebec City runs roughly 16% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

For families, Quebec City is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Quebec City gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.