Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Queens, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,339 in Queens, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
160

Cost of Living Index in Queens, NY
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Queens, NY Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Queens, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,339

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Queens, NY

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 Queens, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $3,339 in Queens, NY.

Vancouver $2,662
Queens, NY $3,339

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $4,831 in Queens, NY.

Vancouver $3,916
Queens, NY $4,831

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $6,323 in Queens, NY.

Vancouver $5,170
Queens, NY $6,323

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 20% less than in Queens, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Queens, NY 146% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$19.16 $19.16

-6.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$80.1 $80.1

-11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$13.04 $13.04

-16.95%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$6.18 $6.18

-36.25%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.53 $2.53

-15.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.49 $1.49

11.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$9.25 $9.25

-38.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$6.93 $6.93

-7.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.27 $1.27

69.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$4.36 $4.36

-41.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$6.02 $6.02

-24.25%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$6.88 $6.88

-40.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$13.73 $13.73

-11.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$10.31 $10.31

28.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$19.51 $19.51

3.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$5.99 $5.99

-32.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$3.49 $3.49

-59.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.40 $4.40

-9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$5.21 $5.21

-24.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$3.02 $3.02

-12.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$3.05 $3.05

-7.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$3.11 $3.11

-20.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$3.09 $3.09

-48.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$14.63 $14.63

4.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$14.84 $14.84

-3.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.85 $1.85

38.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.51 $3.51

-17.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.94 $2.94

-13.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$131 $131

-35.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.96 $2.96

-10.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$41.49 $41.49

-23.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.09 $1.09

30.28%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$27.9K $27.9K

-2.67%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$25.5K $25.5K

-15.40%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$175 $175

-53.47%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$49.84 $49.84

-25.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$50.7 $50.7

3.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$45.68 $45.68

-2.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$67.6 $67.6

-81.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$20.43 $20.43

-38.23%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,979 $1,979

-44.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$16.2K $16.2K

22.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$49.52 $49.52

18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$81.0 $81.0

-58.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$85.7 $85.7

12.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$104 $104

-7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$2,272 $2,272

-22.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,870 $1,870

-19.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$5,863 $5,863

-46.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,964 $2,964

-16.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$8,775 $8,775

-6.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$6,134 $6,134

3.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,625 $3,625

-0.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.8

-37.06%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Queens, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Queens, NY

$1.9K 56% 24% $361

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Queens, NY

$464 13.9% 16.4% $65

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Queens, NY

$343 10.3% 22.2% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Queens, NY

$275 8.3% 60.9% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Queens, NY

$144 4.3% 12.8% $16

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Queens, NY

$156 4.7% 48.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Queens, NY

$87 2.6% 24.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $2,272 in Queens, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queens, NY pays 1% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $80.0 in Queens, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $464 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Queens, NY

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

17:47 5:47 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

2,405,464

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Queens, NY 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Queens, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 1% lower in Queens, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $2,272 in Queens, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $80.0 in Queens, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,662 per month in Vancouver versus $3,339 in Queens, NY – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Queens, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.