Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Staten Island, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Vancouver: $2,662 a month against $2,998 in Staten Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Vancouver
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,662
/mo nomad
Staten Island, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$2,998
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,998 in Staten Island, NY.

  • Vancouver $2,662
  • Staten Island, NY $2,998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $4,498 in Staten Island, NY.

  • Vancouver $3,916
  • Staten Island, NY $4,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $5,998 in Staten Island, NY.

  • Vancouver $5,170
  • Staten Island, NY $5,998

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 11% less than in Staten Island, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Staten Island, NY 121% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.01 CA$25.46
$23.72 $23.72
-24.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$71.0 CA$100
$88.8 $88.8
-20.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.83 CA$15.31
$13.47 $13.47
-19.60%
Cappuccino
$3.94 CA$5.56
$6.54 $6.54
-39.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.13 CA$3.01
$2.67 $2.67
-20.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 CA$2.34
$1.64 $1.64
1.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.73 CA$8.10
$7.83 $7.83
-26.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.40 CA$9.04
$8.17 $8.17
-21.66%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.15 CA$3.04
$1.24 $1.24
73.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.55 CA$3.61
$4.92 $4.92
-48.17%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.56 CA$6.45
$6.76 $6.76
-32.54%
Eggs
$4.06 CA$5.74
$5.84 $5.84
-30.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.14 CA$17.17
$17.44 $17.44
-30.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.23 CA$18.71
$14.00 $14.00
-5.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.24 CA$28.62
$19.21 $19.21
5.36%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 CA$5.73
$6.79 $6.79
-40.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.42 CA$2.00
$3.49 $3.49
-59.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.97 CA$5.62
$6.09 $6.09
-34.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.91 CA$5.53
$6.81 $6.81
-42.58%
Potato (1kg)
$2.64 CA$3.74
$4.09 $4.09
-35.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.82 CA$3.98
$4.30 $4.30
-34.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.48 CA$3.51
$2.78 $2.78
-10.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 CA$2.24
$2.85 $2.85
-44.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.30 CA$21.64
$17.80 $17.80
-14.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.32 CA$20.24
$14.73 $14.73
-2.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.57 CA$3.63
$1.76 $1.76
46.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 CA$4.12
$3.67 $3.67
-20.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.55 CA$3.60
$2.98 $2.98
-14.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$84.6 CA$120
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.64 CA$3.73
$3.02 $3.02
-12.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.63 CA$2.31
$2.21 $2.21
-26.24%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.77 CA$44.91
$42.69 $42.69
-25.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 CA$2.01
$1.15 $1.15
23.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.1K CA$38.3K
$32.6K $32.6K
-16.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K CA$30.5K
$26.3K $26.3K
-17.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.3 CA$115
$213 $213
-61.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.20 CA$52.6
$75.0 $75.0
-50.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.6 CA$74.4
$64.2 $64.2
-18.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.34 CA$62.7
$115 $115
-61.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.37 CA$17.49
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.62 CA$17.85
$20.36 $20.36
-38.02%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,093 CA$1,544
$2,001 $2,001
-45.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.0K CA$28.2K
$16.3K $16.3K
22.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.5 CA$82.7
$71.9 $71.9
-18.64%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.35 CA$47.14
$37.12 $37.12
-10.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$96.3 CA$136
$102 $102
-5.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.6 CA$135
$106 $106
-9.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,765 CA$2,495
$1,851 $1,851
-4.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,508 CA$2,132
$1,423 $1,423
6.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,122 CA$4,414
$3,379 $3,379
-7.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,469 CA$3,490
$2,470 $2,470
-0.05%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,173 CA$11.6K
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,354 CA$8,982
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vancouver
Staten Island, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,592 CA$5,078
$6,817 $6,817
-47.31%
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 17, 2026

Last update for Staten Island, NY: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vancouver
$1.5K
Staten Island, NY
$1.4K 5.7% $85
Groceries & Markets
Vancouver
$399
Staten Island, NY
$517 29.6% $118
Eating Out
Vancouver
$280
Staten Island, NY
$381 36% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vancouver
$171
Staten Island, NY
$352 106% $181
Clothing & Footwear
Vancouver
$128
Staten Island, NY
$143 11.8% $15
Getting Around
Vancouver
$106
Staten Island, NY
$26 * 75.4% $80
Sport & Entertainment
Vancouver
$70
Staten Island, NY
$156 124% $86

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 $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Staten Island, NY pays 90% 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 $89.0 in Staten Island, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $517 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Vancouver
🇺🇸 Staten Island, NY
🕒 Local time
05:25 5:25 AM
08:25 8:25 AM
3 h ahead of Vancouver
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
631,486
495,747
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vancouver Staten Island, NY 3,900 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Vancouver
  • Staten Island, NY

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 Staten Island, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Vancouver or Staten Island, NY?
Vancouver wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Staten Island, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Vancouver the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Vancouver or in Staten Island, NY?
On paper, salaries run 90% lower in Staten Island, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Vancouver compared to Staten Island, NY?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,851 in Staten Island, NY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Vancouver and in Staten Island, NY?
Childcare runs $1,093 in Vancouver versus $2,001 in Staten Island, NY. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Vancouver and in Staten Island, NY?
Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $89.0 in Staten Island, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Vancouver or in Staten Island, NY?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Vancouver or Staten Island, NY?
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.
How safe is Vancouver compared to Staten Island, NY?
Safety-wise, Vancouver and Staten Island, NY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Staten Island, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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