Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Sarnia

For one person, living is cheaper in Sarnia: $2,002 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Sarnia
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Sarnia Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Sarnia

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Sarnia

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

A single person spends $2,626 per month in Vancouver vs $2,002 in Sarnia, rent included.

Vancouver $2,626
Sarnia $2,002

A couple spends around $3,841 per month in Vancouver vs $2,788 in Sarnia, rent included.

Vancouver $3,841
Sarnia $2,788

A family of three spends $5,056 per month in Vancouver vs $3,574 in Sarnia, rent included.

Vancouver $5,056
Sarnia $3,574

Vancouver costs about 31% more than Sarnia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Sarnia sit above the global median – Vancouver by 95%, Sarnia by 48%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.43

$13.54 CA$19.24

26.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$98.1

$45.30 CA$64.4

52.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.08

$9.77 CA$13.89

8.60%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.45

$2.95 CA$4.20

29.83%

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

$2.04 CA$2.90

$1.93 CA$2.75

5.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.35

$1.37 CA$1.94

20.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.87

$4.26 CA$6.05

30.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.82

$5.72 CA$8.13

8.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.04

$1.25 CA$1.77

71.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.56

$2.39 CA$3.40

5.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.38

$2.42 CA$3.45

85.54%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.81

$2.77 CA$3.94

47.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.67

$11.04 CA$15.69

6.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.64

$11.18 CA$15.89

17.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.72

$13.68 CA$19.44

42.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.68

$3.51 CA$5.00

13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.17 CA$1.67

17.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.51

$3.48 CA$4.95

11.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.61

$3.46 CA$4.92

14.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$1.32 CA$1.87

106.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.07

$1.80 CA$2.56

58.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.50

$1.63 CA$2.32

50.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.22

$1.26 CA$1.79

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$22.00

$12.21 CA$17.36

26.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.55

$9.98 CA$14.19

37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.74

$2.42 CA$3.44

8.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.11

$2.77 CA$3.93

4.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.52

$2.30 CA$3.27

7.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$118

$56.7 CA$80.6

46.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.87

$2.43 CA$3.46

11.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$1.70 CA$2.42

-7.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$44.13

$27.85 CA$39.58

11.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.95

$1.17 CA$1.66

17.09%

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

$27.7K CA$39.3K

$27.4K CA$38.9K

0.96%

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

$19.6K CA$27.9K

$18.8K CA$26.8K

4.33%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$138 CA$197

-40.43%

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

$37.26 CA$53.0

$29.32 CA$41.67

27.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.5

$45.42 CA$64.6

13.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.9

$23.76 CA$33.77

80.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.62

$17.73 CA$25.20

-30.06%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.24

$11.50 CA$16.35

5.48%

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

$1,102 CA$1,566

$349 CA$497

215.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$15.8K CA$22.5K

25.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$80.2

$55.3 CA$78.7

1.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.51

$29.75 CA$42.28

12.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$74.0 CA$105

26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$73.0 CA$104

28.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,522

$1,342 CA$1,907

32.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,127

$1,032 CA$1,467

45.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,380

$2,432 CA$3,456

26.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,434

$1,451 CA$2,063

66.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,167

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,367

$3,061 CA$4,351

23.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.09

-15.91%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Sarnia

$1K 51.5% 31.1% $465

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Sarnia

$310 15.5% 21% $83

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Sarnia

$219 10.9% 19% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Sarnia

$213 10.7% 24.3% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Sarnia

$104 5.2% 16.4% $20

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Sarnia

$77 3.8% 25.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Sarnia

$47 2.3% 30.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,342 in Sarnia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 23% higher in Vancouver, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver versus $45.00 in Sarnia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $392 vs $310 – making Sarnia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Sarnia

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

22:23 10:23 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

71,594

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Sarnia 3,170 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
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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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver, $2,002 in Sarnia – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,939 per month in Vancouver and $3,003 in Sarnia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sarnia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $69.0 in Vancouver and $45.00 in Sarnia. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,626 in Vancouver and $2,002 in Sarnia. That's a gap of about 31%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Sarnia, where all-in costs run around $2,002, than in Vancouver at $2,626. In Sarnia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sarnia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sarnia. 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.