Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Somerset, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,626 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
Learn more

Somerset, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Somerset, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $3,865 in Somerset, NJ.

Vancouver $2,626
Somerset, NJ $3,865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $4,297 in Somerset, NJ.

Vancouver $3,841
Somerset, NJ $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $4,728 in Somerset, NJ.

Vancouver $5,056
Somerset, NJ $4,728

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 32% less than in Somerset, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Somerset, NJ 186% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$18.26 $18.26

-5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$39.28 $39.28

75.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$8.16 $8.16

30.02%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$4.89 $4.89

-21.68%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$1.96 $1.96

4.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.47 $1.47

12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$7.84 $7.84

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$7.13 $7.13

-13.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.32 $1.32

62.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$4.38 $4.38

-42.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$6.12 $6.12

-26.63%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$2.02 $2.02

102.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$13.28 $13.28

-11.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$10.19 $10.19

28.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$19.45 $19.45

0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$6.07 $6.07

-34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$3.49 $3.49

-60.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$4.32 $4.32

-10.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$5.43 $5.43

-27.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.04 $3.04

-10.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$3.04 $3.04

-5.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$2.43 $2.43

1.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$2.97 $2.97

-47.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$17.39 $17.39

-10.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$15.25 $15.25

-9.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.78 $1.78

47.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$3.52 $3.52

-17.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.95 $1.95

27.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.94 $2.94

-7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$2.23 $2.23

-29.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$41.34 $41.34

-24.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$1.10 $1.10

24.55%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.15%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

-22.32%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$173 $173

-52.34%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$50.0 $50.0

-25.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$49.14 $49.14

5.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$40.91 $40.91

4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$20.32 $20.32

-40.31%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$2,016 $2,016

-45.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$16.3K $16.3K

21.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$50.2 $50.2

12.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$40.93 $40.93

-18.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$85.3 $85.3

10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$104 $104

-9.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,599 $1,599

10.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$2,626 $2,626

-43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,527 $2,527

21.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$2,114 $2,114

14.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$2,767 $2,767

191.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$2,399 $2,399

168.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.8

-37.06%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9% 75.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4% 12.5% $49

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7% 9.7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Somerset, NJ

$272 7% 58.8% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3% 1% $1.2

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6% 78.9% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1% 21.5% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,599 in Somerset, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $39.00 in Somerset, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $392 vs $441, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

12:05 12:05 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

11,924

💱 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Somerset, NJ 3,880 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Somerset, NJ

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 Somerset, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 47% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,939 in Vancouver and $5,798 in Somerset, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,599 in Somerset, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Somerset, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $3,865 in Somerset, NJ – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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 Somerset, NJ 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 47% less than in Somerset, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.