Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saguenay

For one person, living is cheaper in Saguenay: $1,427 a month against $2,683 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Saguenay
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Saguenay Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,683

/mo nomad

Saguenay

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Saguenay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Vancouver versus $1,427 in Saguenay.

Vancouver $2,683
Saguenay $1,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,963 in Vancouver versus $2,273 in Saguenay.

Vancouver $3,963
Saguenay $2,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,244 in Vancouver versus $3,118 in Saguenay.

Vancouver $5,244
Saguenay $3,118

Living in Vancouver is roughly 88% more expensive than in Saguenay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 98% above, Saguenay 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.10 CA$25.37

$15.26 CA$21.39

18.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$99.5

$43.68 CA$61.2

62.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.57 CA$14.81

$10.92 CA$15.31

-3.21%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.56

$3.69 CA$5.17

7.59%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.51 CA$2.12

37.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 CA$2.59

$1.28 CA$1.79

44.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 CA$7.95

$5.46 CA$7.65

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 CA$9.27

$5.03 CA$7.05

31.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 CA$3.02

$2.07 CA$2.90

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$2.79 CA$3.91

-7.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.02

$4.18 CA$5.86

2.87%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.74

$2.92 CA$4.10

40.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 CA$16.98

$9.06 CA$12.70

33.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.28 CA$18.62

$7.16 CA$10.04

85.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 CA$28.19

$10.29 CA$14.42

95.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.96 CA$5.56

$4.12 CA$5.77

-3.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 CA$2.00

$1.47 CA$2.06

-2.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.71 CA$5.20

$3.79 CA$5.32

-2.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$4.19 CA$5.88

-6.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.02

$2.95 CA$4.13

-2.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 CA$4.17

$2.91 CA$4.07

2.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.44 CA$3.43

6.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.29

$0.81 CA$1.13

101.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.94 CA$22.35

$12.27 CA$17.20

29.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 CA$19.97

$11.64 CA$16.31

22.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CA$3.54

$3.11 CA$4.36

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 CA$4.03

$3.42 CA$4.80

-16.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.66 CA$3.73

-3.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.4 CA$118

$58.0 CA$81.4

45.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.74 CA$3.85

$2.96 CA$4.15

-7.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.28

$1.50 CA$2.10

8.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.90 CA$44.71

$27.98 CA$39.22

14.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CA$2.04

$1.16 CA$1.63

25.86%

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

$26.7K CA$37.4K

$28.0K CA$39.3K

-4.67%

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

$21.0K CA$29.5K

$19.7K CA$27.7K

6.53%

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

$88.2 CA$124

$64.0 CA$89.8

37.83%

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

$36.72 CA$51.5

$32.44 CA$45.48

13.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.81 CA$69.8

$45.11 CA$63.2

10.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.34 CA$63.6

$25.01 CA$35.05

81.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.13 CA$17.00

$19.16 CA$26.86

-36.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.55 CA$17.59

$9.45 CA$13.25

32.80%

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

$1,055 CA$1,479

$693 CA$971

52.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.5K CA$39.9K

$5,360 CA$7,514

431.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.1

$57.6 CA$80.8

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.37 CA$48.18

$35.18 CA$49.31

-2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 CA$126

$84.2 CA$118

6.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.3 CA$132

$107 CA$150

-11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 CA$2,436

$638 CA$895

172.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,528 CA$2,143

$471 CA$660

224.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 CA$4,355

$1,202 CA$1,685

158.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,547 CA$3,570

$956 CA$1,339

166.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,540 CA$12.0K

$5,852 CA$8,204

45.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,328 CA$8,870

$3,449 CA$4,835

83.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,770 CA$5,284

$2,598 CA$3,642

45.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.24

4.45

-4.72%

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

Last update for Vancouver: November 2, 2026

Last update for Saguenay: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Saguenay

$471 33% 69.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$398 14.9%

Saguenay

$316 22.2% 20.6% $82

Eating Out

Vancouver

$281 10.5%

Saguenay

$248 17.4% 12% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$175 6.5%

Saguenay

$142 9.9% 19% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.6%

Saguenay

$128 9% 3.2% $4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 3.9%

Saguenay

$79 5.5% 25% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Saguenay

$44 3.1% 37.7% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,738 in Vancouver and $638 in Saguenay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 45% 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: $71 in Vancouver vs $44 in Saguenay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $316 per month, with Saguenay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Saguenay

🕒 Local time

05:31 5:31 AM

07:31 7:31 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

144,723

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Saguenay 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Saguenay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,683 in Vancouver and $1,427 in Saguenay, so Saguenay is about 47% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 45% 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 $638 in Saguenay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,055 in Vancouver versus $693 in Saguenay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,427 in Saguenay versus $2,683 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.

For families, Saguenay 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.

Expats usually find Saguenay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.