Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Salem, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $3,511 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,511

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Salem, MA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $3,511 in Salem, MA.

Vancouver $2,662
Salem, MA $3,511

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $4,880 in Salem, MA.

Vancouver $3,916
Salem, MA $4,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $6,248 in Salem, MA.

Vancouver $5,170
Salem, MA $6,248

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 24% less than in Salem, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Salem, MA 159% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$24.63 $24.63

-26.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$98.2 $98.2

-27.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$11.20 $11.20

-3.30%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$5.04 $5.04

-21.83%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.46 $2.46

-13.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$2.16 $2.16

-23.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$8.13 $8.13

-29.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$7.19 $7.19

-10.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.26 $1.26

70.63%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$3.55 $3.55

-28.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$4.43 $4.43

2.93%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$4.32 $4.32

-6.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$12.22 $12.22

-0.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$11.72 $11.72

12.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$17.43 $17.43

16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$4.61 $4.61

-12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.56 $1.56

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$4.20 $4.20

-5.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.74 $4.74

-17.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.81 $2.81

-6.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.90 $2.90

-2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.55 $2.55

-2.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.23 $2.23

-28.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$11.02 $11.02

38.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$15.29 $15.29

-6.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.79 $1.79

43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.42 $3.42

-14.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$1.89 $1.89

34.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$40.09 $40.09

110.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.00 $3.00

-12.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.54 $1.54

5.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$31.85 $31.85

-0.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$0.89 $0.89

59.55%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$25.9K $25.9K

4.73%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$26.9K $26.9K

-19.54%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$179 $179

-54.51%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$59.4 $59.4

-37.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$63.8 $63.8

-17.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$42.17 $42.17

5.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$14.49 $14.49

-12.91%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$1,266 $1,266

-13.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$23.7K $23.7K

-15.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$84.2 $84.2

-30.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$56.8 $56.8

-41.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$97.7 $97.7

-1.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$98.1 $98.1

-2.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$2,339 $2,339

-24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$2,162 $2,162

-30.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$3,928 $3,928

-20.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$3,135 $3,135

-21.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,748 $2,748

197.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,332 $2,332

172.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$9,532 $9,532

-62.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.57

-34.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Salem, MA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Salem, MA

$2.2K 61.6% 43.4% $654

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Salem, MA

$401 11.4% 0.6% $2.2

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Salem, MA

$365 10.4% 30% $84

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Salem, MA

$302 8.6% 76.4% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Salem, MA

$152 4.3% 18.7% $24

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Salem, MA

$58 1.7% 44.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Salem, MA

$71 2% 2.3% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 165% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $98.0 in Salem, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $401 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🕒 Local time

12:17 12:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

155,469

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Salem, MA 4,030 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Salem, MA

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 Salem, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Salem, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Salem, MA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $2,339 in Salem, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $1,266 in Salem, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Salem, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Salem, MA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.