Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Sault Ste. Marie

For one person, living is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie: $2,059 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Sault Ste. Marie
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Sault Ste. Marie Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Sault Ste. Marie

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,059

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Sault Ste. Marie

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 Sault Ste. Marie actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Vancouver $2,662
Sault Ste. Marie $2,059

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,008 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Vancouver $3,916
Sault Ste. Marie $3,008

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $3,956 in Sault Ste. Marie.

Vancouver $5,170
Sault Ste. Marie $3,956

Living in Vancouver is roughly 29% more expensive than in Sault Ste. Marie, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Sault Ste. Marie 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$17.17 CA$24.28

4.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$70.6 CA$99.8

0.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.23 CA$14.46

5.87%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.47 CA$4.90

13.54%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$1.64 CA$2.32

29.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.35 CA$1.91

22.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$4.68 CA$6.62

22.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.00 CA$7.07

28.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$2.42 CA$3.43

-11.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.14 CA$3.02

19.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.27 CA$4.63

39.45%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$2.98 CA$4.22

36.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$8.32 CA$11.76

45.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$9.97 CA$14.10

32.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$10.51 CA$14.86

92.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.14 CA$4.43

28.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$0.99 CA$1.40

43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.06 CA$4.33

29.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.54 CA$5.01

10.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$1.97 CA$2.79

34.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$1.69 CA$2.39

66.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.77 CA$3.92

-10.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.27 CA$1.79

25.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$15.75 CA$22.26

-2.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$10.67 CA$15.08

34.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.84 CA$2.60

39.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$2.28 CA$3.23

27.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.24 CA$3.16

13.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$57.5 CA$81.2

47.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$3.47 CA$4.91

-23.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$2.31 CA$3.26

-29.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$22.97 CA$32.47

38.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.08 CA$1.52

31.48%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$26.5K CA$37.5K

2.32%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$20.3K CA$28.6K

6.62%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$174 CA$246

-53.32%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$44.36 CA$62.7

-16.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$76.7 CA$108

-31.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$50.3 CA$71.0

-11.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$17.62 CA$24.90

-29.80%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$11.18 CA$15.80

12.88%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$4,984 CA$7,046

300.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$45.63 CA$64.5

28.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$35.58 CA$50.3

-6.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$74.8 CA$106

28.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$120 CA$170

-20.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$893 CA$1,262

97.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$931 CA$1,316

61.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,325 CA$1,873

135.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,455 CA$2,057

69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$1,868 CA$2,640

337.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$5,432 CA$7,679

16.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,049 CA$4,310

17.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.53

-22.60%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sault Ste. Marie: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Sault Ste. Marie

$931 45.2% 38.3% $577

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Sault Ste. Marie

$299 14.5% 25% $100

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Sault Ste. Marie

$255 12.4% 9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$295 14.3% 72.5% $124

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Sault Ste. Marie

$124 6% 2.6% $3.4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Sault Ste. Marie

$81 4% 22.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Sault Ste. Marie

$73 3.5% 4.3% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 18% 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 $71.0 in Sault Ste. Marie. Groceries flip the comparison at $399 vs $299, with Sault Ste. Marie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Sault Ste. Marie

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

11:05 11:05 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

73,368

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Sault Ste. Marie 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

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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 Sault Ste. Marie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sault Ste. Marie is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 18% 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: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $893 in Sault Ste. Marie. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Sault Ste. Marie – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $71.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Sault Ste. Marie runs roughly 47% less than in Vancouver. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,059 in Sault Ste. Marie versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sault Ste. Marie but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Sault Ste. Marie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Sault Ste. Marie gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.