Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Squamish, BC

For one person, living is cheaper in Squamish, BC: $2,633 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Squamish, BC
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Squamish, BC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Squamish, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,633

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Squamish, BC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,633 in Squamish, BC.

Vancouver $2,725
Squamish, BC $2,633

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,977 in Squamish, BC.

Vancouver $4,039
Squamish, BC $3,977

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $5,322 in Squamish, BC.

Vancouver $5,352
Squamish, BC $5,322

Living in Vancouver is roughly 4% more expensive than in Squamish, BC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Squamish, BC 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.66

$16.13 CA$22.54

9.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$50.9 CA$71.1

42.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.14

$10.35 CA$14.47

4.73%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.87 CA$5.40

1.03%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.83 CA$2.56

14.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.56 CA$2.17

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.02

$5.76 CA$8.05

-0.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.89

$5.77 CA$8.06

10.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$1.72 CA$2.41

28.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.16 CA$3.01

22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.51 CA$4.91

33.33%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$3.13 CA$4.37

35.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.66

$12.63 CA$17.65

-5.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.34

$15.42 CA$21.55

-14.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.51

$19.49 CA$27.23

4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.73

$5.33 CA$7.45

-23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.92

$1.18 CA$1.65

16.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.35

$4.85 CA$6.77

-21.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.47

$3.69 CA$5.15

6.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$4.22 CA$5.90

-34.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.96

$2.56 CA$3.57

10.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.63

$2.61 CA$3.65

-0.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.82 CA$2.54

-12.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.17

$14.69 CA$20.53

8.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.56

$10.85 CA$15.16

29.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.89 CA$4.04

-11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.21

$3.60 CA$5.04

-16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$1.46 CA$2.04

74.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$31.22 CA$43.62

169.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.62 CA$5.05

-26.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.21

$1.44 CA$2.02

9.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$44.98

$24.78 CA$34.63

29.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.20 CA$1.67

20.83%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$26.6K CA$37.1K

3.49%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$19.0K CA$26.5K

12.40%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$116 CA$162

-28.84%

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

$37.46 CA$52.3

$44.40 CA$62.0

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.2

$64.0 CA$89.5

-19.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.6

$51.5 CA$71.9

-21.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.73

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.69

$11.29 CA$15.77

12.13%

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

$1,080 CA$1,509

$1,088 CA$1,521

-0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.1K

$8,575 CA$12.0K

134.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.7

$52.3 CA$73.0

11.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.65

$42.74 CA$59.7

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$135

$79.4 CA$111

22.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$99.4 CA$139

-1.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,534

$1,639 CA$2,291

10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,202

$1,499 CA$2,095

5.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,494

$3,153 CA$4,406

2.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,705

$2,821 CA$3,941

-6.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$5,834 CA$8,153

47.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,291

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,216

$3,121 CA$4,360

19.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.72

-9.32%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Squamish, BC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Squamish, BC

$1.5K 56.9% 4.9% $77

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Squamish, BC

$404 15.3% 0.7% $2.9

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Squamish, BC

$260 9.9% 6% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Squamish, BC

$224 8.5% 30.7% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Squamish, BC

$123 4.7% 4.6% $5.9

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Squamish, BC

$48 1.8% 54.4% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Squamish, BC

$74 2.8% 12.4% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,639 in Squamish, BC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 20% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $51 in Squamish, BC. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $404, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Squamish, BC

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

19,512

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Squamish, BC 49 km

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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 Squamish, BC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Squamish, BC wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Vancouver. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Squamish, BC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% 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 $1,639 in Squamish, BC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,080 in Vancouver versus $1,088 in Squamish, BC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Squamish, BC – a meal for two runs $51 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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

It comes down to priorities – Squamish, BC wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.