Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Raleigh, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Raleigh, NC: $2,684 and $2,666 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,684 per month in Vancouver vs $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Vancouver $2,684
Raleigh, NC $2,666

A couple spends around $3,878 per month in Vancouver vs $3,913 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Vancouver $3,878
Raleigh, NC $3,913

A family of three spends $5,072 per month in Vancouver vs $5,159 in Raleigh, NC, rent included.

Vancouver $5,072
Raleigh, NC $5,159

Vancouver costs about 1% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Vancouver and Raleigh, NC sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Raleigh, NC by 99%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$23.68 $23.68

-26.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$98.9 $98.9

-30.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$10.92 $10.92

-3.30%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$5.80 $5.80

-32.93%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.88 $2.88

-28.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.21 $2.21

-26.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$6.09 $6.09

-9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$7.10 $7.10

-10.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$0.92 $0.92

151.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$3.85 $3.85

-35.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$3.10 $3.10

43.23%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$4.70 $4.70

-13.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$15.26 $15.26

-26.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$9.82 $9.82

36.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$18.08 $18.08

11.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$6.54 $6.54

-37.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.25 $1.25

6.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$4.58 $4.58

-14.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$5.90 $5.90

-31.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$3.01 $3.01

-9.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$3.65 $3.65

-20.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.08 $2.08

21.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.23 $2.23

-27.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$9.60 $9.60

62.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$14.94 $14.94

-5.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.22 $2.22

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$2.73 $2.73

9.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$1.39 $1.39

75.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$40.65 $40.65

105.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$2.99 $2.99

-9.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.94 $1.94

-19.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

$18.35 $18.35

71.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$0.97 $0.97

42.27%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$36.3K $36.3K

-22.61%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$25.0K $25.0K

-20.71%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$193 $193

-57.91%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$57.0 $57.0

-34.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$67.1 $67.1

-23.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$36.25 $36.25

19.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$5.10 $5.10

145.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$15.28 $15.28

-17.93%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$1,463 $1,463

-25.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$24.2K $24.2K

-17.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$53.5 $53.5

6.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$58.9 $58.9

-44.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$92.6 $92.6

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$142 $142

-33.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,750 $1,750

-0.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,298 $1,298

14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$3,055 $3,055

-1.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,028 $2,028

19.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$3,971 $3,971

101.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$2,149 $2,149

200.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$4,299 $4,299

-11.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.61

-35.25%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7% 12.5% $186

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5% 3.8% $15

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4% 31.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9% 86.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9% 25.4% $32

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2% 43.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5% 2.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,750 in Raleigh, NC. 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 13% higher in Raleigh, NC, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $99.0 in Raleigh, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $414 – making Vancouver the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

01:37 1:37 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

431,746

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Vancouver Raleigh, NC 3,870 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Raleigh, NC

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 Raleigh, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 1% more than Raleigh, NC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,026 per month in Vancouver and $3,998 in Raleigh, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Raleigh, NC, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 105% less in Raleigh, NC. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,094 per month in Vancouver and $1,463 in Raleigh, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,684 in Vancouver and $2,666 in Raleigh, NC. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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