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: $2,845 in Vancouver versus $1,320 in Saguenay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,183 in Vancouver versus $2,369 in Saguenay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,520 in Vancouver versus $3,418 in Saguenay.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 116% more expensive than Saguenay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 111% above, Saguenay is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 CA$25.01

$13.38 CA$18.34

36.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 CA$108

$44.87 CA$61.5

75.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 CA$15.30

$11.13 CA$15.25

0.36%

Cappuccino

$3.92 CA$5.37

$3.78 CA$5.18

3.70%

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

$2.23 CA$3.05

$1.52 CA$2.08

46.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.51

$1.30 CA$1.78

40.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.85 CA$8.02

$5.39 CA$7.39

8.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 CA$9.82

$5.29 CA$7.25

35.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.02

$2.17 CA$2.97

1.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 CA$4.41

$2.98 CA$4.08

8.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.75 CA$5.13

$4.45 CA$6.09

-15.73%

Eggs

$4.36 CA$5.98

$2.53 CA$3.47

72.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.71 CA$17.41

$12.77 CA$17.50

-0.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.90 CA$19.04

$8.89 CA$12.19

56.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.66 CA$21.45

$13.86 CA$18.99

12.99%

Apples (1kg)

$4.24 CA$5.81

$4.15 CA$5.68

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CA$2.11

$1.32 CA$1.81

16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.30

$4.13 CA$5.66

-6.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$6.96

$4.10 CA$5.61

23.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.38

$1.84 CA$2.53

73.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.02

$1.65 CA$2.26

77.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.63 CA$3.60

$2.61 CA$3.58

0.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 CA$2.55

$0.84 CA$1.15

121.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.36 CA$21.04

$12.16 CA$16.66

26.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.48 CA$21.20

$11.04 CA$15.13

40.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.10 CA$4.25

$3.09 CA$4.23

0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 CA$5.12

$1.97 CA$2.71

89.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 CA$3.27

$2.71 CA$3.72

-12.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.0 CA$115

$56.1 CA$76.8

49.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 CA$5.01

$3.64 CA$4.99

0.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.03

$2.03 CA$2.78

-27.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.98 CA$36.96

$30.86 CA$42.28

-12.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CA$1.76

$1.16 CA$1.59

10.34%

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

$25.6K CA$35.0K

$25.2K CA$34.5K

1.56%

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

$20.8K CA$28.6K

$20.5K CA$28.1K

1.69%

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

$91.0 CA$125

$86.1 CA$118

5.67%

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

$40.15 CA$55.0

$38.78 CA$53.1

3.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 CA$83.3

$43.45 CA$59.5

39.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.05 CA$63.1

$32.59 CA$44.65

41.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.77 CA$21.61

$14.01 CA$19.20

12.56%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 CA$16.79

$9.55 CA$13.09

28.27%

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

$1,165 CA$1,596

$600 CA$822

94.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K CA$25.2K

$6,285 CA$8,611

192.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 CA$85.7

$60.5 CA$82.9

3.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.30 CA$58.0

$52.7 CA$72.2

-19.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 CA$134

$97.1 CA$133

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$156

$129 CA$177

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 CA$2,724

$614 CA$841

223.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 CA$2,287

$295 CA$404

465.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,580 CA$4,904

$1,308 CA$1,792

173.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 CA$3,738

$1,089 CA$1,492

150.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,014 CA$12.3K

$5,853 CA$8,019

54.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,085 CA$9,707

$3,609 CA$4,944

96.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,588 CA$4,916

$2,650 CA$3,630

35.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

6.87

-18.34%

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

Last update for Vancouver: April 12, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,988 in Vancouver and $614 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 35% 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: $79 in Vancouver vs $45 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $415 vs $340 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 116% in total monthly costs ($2,845 vs $1,320 including rent). Saguenay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Vancouver pays 35% more on average, 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: $1,988 in Vancouver versus $614 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,165 in Vancouver versus $600 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,320 in Saguenay versus $2,845 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 116% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.