Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saguenay Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saguenay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,783 in Vancouver versus $1,447 in Saguenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,030 in Vancouver versus $2,322 in Saguenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,278 in Vancouver versus $3,197 in Saguenay.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 92% more expensive than in Saguenay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 102% above, Saguenay 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.99 CA$24.95

$15.87 CA$22.01

13.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.9 CA$101

$43.50 CA$60.3

67.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.76 CA$14.92

$11.51 CA$15.96

-6.52%

Cappuccino

$4.17 CA$5.79

$3.82 CA$5.30

9.16%

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

$2.20 CA$3.05

$1.56 CA$2.17

41.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.37

$1.28 CA$1.78

33.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.91 CA$8.19

$5.57 CA$7.72

6.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 CA$9.24

$5.32 CA$7.38

25.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.19 CA$3.04

$2.10 CA$2.92

4.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 CA$3.69

$2.88 CA$4.00

-7.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.14

$4.10 CA$5.68

8.05%

Eggs

$4.20 CA$5.83

$2.94 CA$4.07

42.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.88 CA$16.47

$8.82 CA$12.24

34.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.66 CA$18.95

$7.17 CA$9.95

90.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 CA$28.18

$10.47 CA$14.52

94.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.88

$4.38 CA$6.07

-3.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.41 CA$1.96

-2.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.61

$3.76 CA$5.22

7.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.58

$4.26 CA$5.90

-5.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$3.97

$2.92 CA$4.05

-1.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.15

$2.83 CA$3.92

5.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 CA$3.66

$2.56 CA$3.55

3.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.29

$0.77 CA$1.07

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.92 CA$22.07

$12.47 CA$17.30

27.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.63 CA$20.29

$11.46 CA$15.90

27.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 CA$3.86

$3.15 CA$4.37

-11.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 CA$4.25

$3.37 CA$4.68

-9.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.56

$2.66 CA$3.69

-3.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.2 CA$115

$57.8 CA$80.1

44.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 CA$3.74

$2.92 CA$4.05

-7.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.26

$1.51 CA$2.10

7.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 CA$45.33

$27.80 CA$38.55

17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CA$2.00

$1.17 CA$1.62

23.08%

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

$28.4K CA$39.4K

$28.9K CA$40.1K

-1.86%

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

$19.5K CA$27.1K

$20.1K CA$27.9K

-2.97%

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

$79.2 CA$110

$65.2 CA$90.4

21.49%

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

$36.21 CA$50.2

$32.83 CA$45.54

10.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.3 CA$71.2

$46.79 CA$64.9

9.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.58 CA$60.4

$25.74 CA$35.70

69.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.16 CA$18.25

$19.49 CA$27.03

-32.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.85 CA$16.44

$9.22 CA$12.78

28.52%

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

$1,131 CA$1,568

$710 CA$984

59.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K CA$27.3K

$9,291 CA$12.9K

111.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 CA$83.2

$57.3 CA$79.5

4.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.84 CA$48.32

$36.69 CA$50.9

-5.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 CA$125

$87.5 CA$121

3.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.5 CA$130

$111 CA$154

-15.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,806 CA$2,505

$631 CA$875

186.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 CA$2,193

$467 CA$647

238.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,182 CA$4,413

$1,233 CA$1,710

158.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,465 CA$3,418

$990 CA$1,373

149.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,841 CA$12.3K

$5,852 CA$8,117

51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,963 CA$9,657

$3,544 CA$4,915

96.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,738 CA$5,184

$2,644 CA$3,667

41.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.21

4.45

-5.39%

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

Last update for Vancouver: September 7, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,806 in Vancouver and $631 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 41% 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: $73.0 in Vancouver vs $43.00 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $408 vs $318 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

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 Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Saguenay differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,783 vs $1,447 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,806 in Vancouver versus $631 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,131 in Vancouver versus $710 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,447 in Saguenay versus $2,783 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saguenay but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Saguenay 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 Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.