Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Saskatoon

For one person, living is cheaper in Saskatoon: $2,186 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Saskatoon
Learn more

Saskatoon Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Saskatoon

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Saskatoon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,186 in Saskatoon.

Vancouver $2,725
Saskatoon $2,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,142 in Saskatoon.

Vancouver $4,039
Saskatoon $3,142

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,098 in Saskatoon.

Vancouver $5,352
Saskatoon $4,098

Living in Vancouver is roughly 25% more expensive than in Saskatoon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Saskatoon 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.77

$17.78 CA$24.95

-0.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$70.4 CA$98.8

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.21

$9.25 CA$12.99

17.19%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.49

$3.64 CA$5.11

7.42%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.03 CA$2.85

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.85 CA$2.59

-11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$4.24 CA$5.95

35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.93

$6.28 CA$8.81

1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$3.07 CA$4.30

-28.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.27 CA$3.19

16.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.56

$4.76 CA$6.69

-1.68%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.64 CA$5.11

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.73

$9.83 CA$13.79

21.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.42

$11.79 CA$16.54

11.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.63

$16.52 CA$23.18

23.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$4.19 CA$5.88

-2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.64 CA$2.30

-15.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$4.40 CA$6.18

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$3.20 CA$4.49

22.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.86 CA$4.01

-3.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$2.16 CA$3.03

31.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.75 CA$3.86

-5.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.45 CA$2.04

9.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.27

$15.06 CA$21.14

5.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.64

$14.02 CA$19.68

-0.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$2.88 CA$4.04

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$3.38 CA$4.74

-10.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.39 CA$3.35

6.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$60.4 CA$84.7

39.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$4.44 CA$6.23

-39.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.30 CA$1.82

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.17

$14.53 CA$20.39

121.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.20 CA$1.69

20.83%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$28.7K CA$40.3K

-4.30%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

$21.6K CA$30.3K

-1.11%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$223 CA$313

-63.03%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$47.02 CA$66.0

-20.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.5

$58.7 CA$82.4

-11.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$40.26 CA$56.5

0.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.81

$18.14 CA$25.45

-30.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.77

$11.02 CA$15.46

14.88%

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

$1,080 CA$1,515

$488 CA$685

121.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$14.5K CA$20.3K

39.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.0

$58.1 CA$81.6

0.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.85

$43.90 CA$61.6

-22.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$86.5 CA$121

12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$106 CA$149

-8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,545

$1,043 CA$1,464

73.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,211

$939 CA$1,318

67.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,514

$1,712 CA$2,403

87.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,721

$1,362 CA$1,912

94.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

$2,855 CA$4,006

200.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,331

$2,474 CA$3,472

168.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,239

$2,730 CA$3,832

36.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.8

-10.83%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Saskatoon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Saskatoon

$939 42.9% 40.4% $637

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Saskatoon

$380 17.4% 5.2% $21

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Saskatoon

$263 12% 5.1% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Saskatoon

$329 15% 91.6% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Saskatoon

$133 6.1% 2.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Saskatoon

$81 3.7% 23% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Saskatoon

$62 2.9% 5.4% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,043 in Saskatoon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 37% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $70 in Saskatoon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $380 per month, with Saskatoon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Saskatoon

🕒 Local time

13:27 1:27 PM

14:27 2:27 PM

1 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

246,376

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Saskatoon 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Saskatoon

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 Saskatoon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saskatoon wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saskatoon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 37% 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,043 in Saskatoon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Saskatoon runs roughly 28% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,080 in Vancouver versus $488 in Saskatoon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Saskatoon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Saskatoon 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 Saskatoon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.