Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saint Andrews

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Andrews: $2,244 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,662
/mo nomad
Saint Andrews
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,244
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Saint Andrews

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $2,244 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Vancouver $2,662
  • Saint Andrews $2,244

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $3,223 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Vancouver $3,916
  • Saint Andrews $3,223

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $4,202 in Saint Andrews, rent included.

  • Vancouver $5,170
  • Saint Andrews $4,202

Vancouver costs about 19% more than Saint Andrews, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Saint Andrews sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Saint Andrews by 66%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.01 CA$25.46
$17.66 CA$24.97
1.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$100
$65.7 CA$92.8
8.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 CA$15.31
$10.59 CA$14.97
2.27%
Cappuccino
$3.94 CA$5.56
$3.64 CA$5.14
8.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$3.01
$1.93 CA$2.73
10.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.34
$1.55 CA$2.19
7.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 CA$8.10
$5.20 CA$7.35
10.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.40 CA$9.04
$5.62 CA$7.95
13.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$2.05 CA$2.90
4.88%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 CA$3.61
$2.42 CA$3.42
5.37%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.56 CA$6.45
$3.27 CA$4.63
39.45%
Eggs
$4.06 CA$5.74
$3.41 CA$4.83
19.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.14 CA$17.17
$9.55 CA$13.50
27.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.23 CA$18.71
$11.41 CA$16.13
15.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.24 CA$28.62
$14.79 CA$20.90
36.85%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 CA$5.73
$3.65 CA$5.16
10.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$2.00
$1.27 CA$1.79
11.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.97 CA$5.62
$3.71 CA$5.25
7.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.53
$3.67 CA$5.18
6.54%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 CA$3.74
$2.50 CA$3.54
5.60%
Onion (1kg)
$2.82 CA$3.98
$2.12 CA$3.00
33.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 CA$3.51
$2.45 CA$3.46
1.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 CA$2.24
$1.60 CA$2.26
-0.63%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.30 CA$21.64
$13.98 CA$19.76
9.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.32 CA$20.24
$12.82 CA$18.12
11.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.63
$2.57 CA$3.64
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$3.01 CA$4.25
-3.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.60
$2.31 CA$3.27
10.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.6 CA$120
$60.6 CA$85.7
39.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 CA$3.73
$2.83 CA$4.00
-6.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 CA$2.31
$1.47 CA$2.07
10.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.77 CA$44.91
$22.74 CA$32.15
39.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 CA$2.01
$1.18 CA$1.67
20.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K CA$38.3K
$27.8K CA$39.4K
-2.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K CA$30.5K
$19.1K CA$27.1K
12.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.3 CA$115
$131 CA$186
-38.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.20 CA$52.6
$38.72 CA$54.7
-3.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 CA$74.4
$54.4 CA$77.0
-3.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.34 CA$62.7
$40.72 CA$57.6
8.89%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.37 CA$17.49
$18.09 CA$25.57
-31.62%
Cinema Ticket
$12.62 CA$17.85
$11.25 CA$15.90
12.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,093 CA$1,544
$750 CA$1,061
45.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K CA$28.2K
$12.8K CA$18.1K
56.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$82.7
$53.5 CA$75.6
9.39%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.35 CA$47.14
$38.15 CA$53.9
-12.58%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 CA$136
$83.4 CA$118
15.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 CA$135
$101 CA$143
-5.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,765 CA$2,495
$1,261 CA$1,783
39.95%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 CA$2,132
$1,139 CA$1,610
32.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,122 CA$4,414
$1,907 CA$2,696
63.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,469 CA$3,490
$1,691 CA$2,391
45.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,173 CA$11.6K
$4,194 CA$5,930
94.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,354 CA$8,982
$3,621 CA$5,119
75.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Saint Andrews
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,592 CA$5,078
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.28
4.66
-8.15%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Saint Andrews: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
Saint Andrews
$1.1K 24.5% $370
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$399
Saint Andrews
$346 13.3% $53
Eating Out
Vancouver
$280
Saint Andrews
$268 4.5% $13
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$171
Saint Andrews
$225 31.2% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$128
Saint Andrews
$124 2.7% $3.4
Getting Around
Vancouver
$106
Saint Andrews
$80 24.2% $26
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$70
Saint Andrews
$63 9.1% $6.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,261 in Saint Andrews. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver versus $66.0 in Saint Andrews. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $346 – making Saint Andrews the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇨🇦 Saint Andrews
🕒 Local time
11:09 11:09 AM
15:09 3:09 PM
4 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Saint Andrews 4,170 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Saint Andrews

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 Saint Andrews: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Vancouver and in Saint Andrews compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver, $2,244 in Saint Andrews – roughly 19% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Vancouver compared to Saint Andrews?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $3,367 in Saint Andrews. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Vancouver and Saint Andrews?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Andrews, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Vancouver or Saint Andrews?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,662 in Vancouver and $2,244 in Saint Andrews. That's a gap of about 19%.
How do commuting costs compare in Vancouver and in Saint Andrews?
Public transport costs about 40% less in Saint Andrews. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Andrews, where all-in costs run around $2,244, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Saint Andrews it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Vancouver or Saint Andrews?
Families tend to lean toward Saint Andrews – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Vancouver and Saint Andrews?
If budget matters most, go with Saint Andrews. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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