Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saanich

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Saanich: $2,683 and $2,631 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Saanich
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Saanich Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Saanich

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,631

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Saanich

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $2,631 in Saanich.

Vancouver $2,683
Saanich $2,631

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $3,721 in Saanich.

Vancouver $3,963
Saanich $3,721

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $4,811 in Saanich.

Vancouver $5,244
Saanich $4,811

Monthly costs are close between Vancouver and Saanich; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 98% above, Saanich 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.26

$18.08 CA$25.24

0.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.1

0.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.75

$11.35 CA$15.84

-6.87%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.54

$4.48 CA$6.26

-11.38%

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

$2.07 CA$2.89

$2.28 CA$3.19

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.58

$1.76 CA$2.46

5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.91

$5.75 CA$8.02

-1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.23

$6.73 CA$9.39

-1.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.01

$2.03 CA$2.83

6.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.60

$3.09 CA$4.31

-16.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.00

$3.03 CA$4.23

41.91%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.71

$4.22 CA$5.89

-3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.91

$17.27 CA$24.11

-29.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.54

$12.13 CA$16.94

9.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.07

$17.04 CA$23.79

18.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.53

$4.37 CA$6.09

-9.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$1.99

$1.45 CA$2.03

-1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.18

$4.31 CA$6.02

-13.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$5.84 CA$8.16

-32.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.00

$3.61 CA$5.04

-20.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.16

$2.87 CA$4.00

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.65

$3.16 CA$4.41

-17.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$2.25 CA$3.14

-27.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.25

$14.04 CA$19.60

13.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.89

$15.60 CA$21.78

-8.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.52

$2.53 CA$3.53

-0.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.01

$3.42 CA$4.77

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.58

$2.26 CA$3.15

13.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

$79.7 CA$111

5.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.83

$2.79 CA$3.90

-1.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.64 CA$2.29

-0.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.52

$35.20 CA$49.13

-9.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.03

$1.35 CA$1.88

8.15%

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

$26.7K CA$37.3K

$28.5K CA$39.8K

-6.31%

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

$21.0K CA$29.4K

$21.4K CA$29.8K

-1.64%

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

$88.2 CA$123

$120 CA$168

-26.55%

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

$36.72 CA$51.3

$40.69 CA$56.8

-9.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.5

$66.6 CA$93.0

-25.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.3

$108 CA$151

-58.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$16.93

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.52

$11.25 CA$15.70

11.56%

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

$1,055 CA$1,473

$710 CA$991

48.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.8K

$15.2K CA$21.2K

87.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$78.8

$48.55 CA$67.8

16.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$47.98

$33.72 CA$47.08

1.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$125

$92.2 CA$129

-2.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$108 CA$150

-12.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,426

$1,484 CA$2,071

17.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,134

$1,327 CA$1,853

15.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,337

$2,078 CA$2,901

49.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,555

$1,875 CA$2,617

35.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$11.9K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,833

$3,823 CA$5,336

65.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,262

$2,995 CA$4,180

25.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.72

-10.17%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saanich: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Saanich

$1.3K 50.4% 13.2% $201

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Saanich

$428 16.3% 7.4% $29

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Saanich

$291 11.1% 3.4% $9.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Saanich

$227 8.7% 30.1% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Saanich

$127 4.8% 2.6% $3.2

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Saanich

$100 3.8% 5.5% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Saanich

$131 5% 85.5% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $1,484 in Saanich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 26% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $71 in Vancouver vs $71 in Saanich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $428 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Saanich

🕒 Local time

15:26 3:26 PM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

117,735

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Saanich 91 km

From you

Vancouver
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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 Saanich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,738 in Vancouver versus $1,484 in Saanich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Saanich runs roughly 6% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,055 in Vancouver versus $710 in Saanich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Saanich is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Saanich 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.

It comes down to priorities – Saanich wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.