Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,684 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $2,994 in South Portland, ME.

Vancouver $2,684
South Portland, ME $2,994

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $4,563 in South Portland, ME.

Vancouver $3,878
South Portland, ME $4,563

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $6,131 in South Portland, ME.

Vancouver $5,072
South Portland, ME $6,131

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 10% less than in South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, South Portland, ME 123% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.67

$24.56 $24.56

-29.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$120 $120

-42.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.06

$14.81 $14.81

-28.70%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.55

$5.13 $5.13

-24.17%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$3.03 $3.03

-32.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.37 $2.37

-31.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.91

$7.84 $7.84

-29.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$8.06 $8.06

-21.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$1.03 $1.03

124.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.57

$4.56 $4.56

-45.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.34

$7.23 $7.23

-38.59%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$3.93 $3.93

3.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$15.46 $15.46

-27.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$10.02 $10.02

33.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.66

$15.91 $15.91

26.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.79

$5.06 $5.06

-19.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.71 $1.71

-22.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$5.45 $5.45

-28.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$7.38 $7.38

-45.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$4.46 $4.46

-39.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$3.75 $3.75

-22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$3.02 $3.02

-16.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.52 $2.52

-35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.20

$11.11 $11.11

40.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$14.80 $14.80

-5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$1.86 $1.86

44.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.27

$2.59 $2.59

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.07 $2.07

17.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$2.05 $2.05

32.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.58 $1.58

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.76

$11.11 $11.11

182.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.09 $1.09

26.61%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-22.17%

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

$19.8K CA$28.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

-21.09%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$239 $239

-65.98%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$69.9 $69.9

-46.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.3

$78.1 $78.1

-34.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$61.0 $61.0

-28.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$29.63 $29.63

-57.71%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$15.21 $15.21

-17.55%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$402 $402

172.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

$15.2K $15.2K

30.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$52.3 $52.3

9.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.67

$52.3 $52.3

-37.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$103 $103

-10.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$135 $135

-30.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,489

$1,933 $1,933

-9.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,116

$1,521 $1,521

-2.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,275

$3,149 $3,149

-4.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,454

$2,643 $2,643

-8.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,801 $2,801

185.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,207

$2,405 $2,405

168.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,417

$4,254 $4,254

-10.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.65

-35.64%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7% 2.5% $37

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9% 12% $48

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7% 39.6% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9% 127% $217

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1% 23.8% $30

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6% 82.4% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1% 33.3% $23

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 $1,745 in Vancouver and $1,933 in South Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays 12% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $120 in South Portland, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $446 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

03:56 3:56 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

26,498

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.701 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.701 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver South Portland, ME 4,010 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in South Portland, ME. 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 12% lower in South Portland, ME. 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: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,933 in South Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,094 in Vancouver versus $402 in South Portland, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $120 in South Portland, ME. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 South Portland, ME 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 12% less than in South Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.