Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Roanoke, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Roanoke, VA: $2,212 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Vancouver outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Roanoke, VA
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Roanoke, VA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Roanoke, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Roanoke, VA

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 Roanoke, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,212 in Roanoke, VA.

Vancouver $2,626
Roanoke, VA $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $3,269 in Roanoke, VA.

Vancouver $3,841
Roanoke, VA $3,269

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $4,325 in Roanoke, VA.

Vancouver $5,056
Roanoke, VA $4,325

Living in Vancouver is roughly 19% more expensive than in Roanoke, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Roanoke, VA 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$17.35 $17.35

-0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$55.3 $55.3

24.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$11.82 $11.82

-10.24%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$5.41 $5.41

-29.21%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.35 $2.35

-13.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$2.38 $2.38

-30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$4.55 $4.55

21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$7.20 $7.20

-13.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$0.88 $0.88

143.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$2.94 $2.94

-14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$4.33 $4.33

3.70%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.36 $3.36

21.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$14.26 $14.26

-17.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$10.34 $10.34

26.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$16.97 $16.97

14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$5.34 $5.34

-25.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.16 $1.16

18.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$3.73 $3.73

4.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$4.59 $4.59

-13.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.26 $2.26

20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.19 $3.19

-10.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.18 $2.18

12.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.07 $2.07

-24.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$9.21 $9.21

68.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$12.15 $12.15

13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.70 $1.70

54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$1.46 $1.46

97.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.79 $1.79

38.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$114 $114

-27.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$0.60 $0.60

163.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$0.93 $0.93

47.31%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$36.8K $36.8K

-24.90%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-22.41%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$123 $123

-33.13%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$55.0 $55.0

-32.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$64.5 $64.5

-19.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$37.84 $37.84

13.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$22.91 $22.91

-45.88%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$12.93 $12.93

-6.19%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$572 $572

92.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$45.07 $45.07

25.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$34.44 $34.44

-2.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$90.3 $90.3

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$134 $134

-30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,178 $1,178

50.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$982 $982

52.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$1,765 $1,765

74.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,601 $1,601

50.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$1,999 $1,999

303.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$1,963 $1,963

228.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$3,312 $3,312

14.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.81

-37.15%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Roanoke, VA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Roanoke, VA

$982 44.4% 34.4% $515

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Roanoke, VA

$368 16.7% 6.2% $24

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Roanoke, VA

$295 13.3% 9.3% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Roanoke, VA

$243 11% 41.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Roanoke, VA

$137 6.2% 9.5% $12

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Roanoke, VA

$124 * 5.6% 19.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Roanoke, VA

$64 2.9% 5.1% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,178 in Roanoke, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 14% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $55.0 in Roanoke, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $368 per month, with Roanoke, VA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Roanoke, VA

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

99,837

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Roanoke, VA 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Roanoke, VA

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 Roanoke, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Roanoke, VA differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,212 including rent). Roanoke, VA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,178 in Roanoke, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $2,212 in Roanoke, VA – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Roanoke, VA runs roughly 37% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,212 in Roanoke, VA versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Roanoke, VA but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.