Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Stratford, ON

For one person, living is cheaper in Stratford, ON: $1,992 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Stratford, ON
Learn more

Stratford, ON Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Stratford, ON

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $1,992 in Stratford, ON.

Vancouver $2,725
Stratford, ON $1,992

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,189 in Stratford, ON.

Vancouver $4,039
Stratford, ON $3,189

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,387 in Stratford, ON.

Vancouver $5,352
Stratford, ON $4,387

Living in Vancouver is roughly 37% more expensive than in Stratford, ON, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Stratford, ON 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.68

$17.70 CA$24.76

-0.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$49.39 CA$69.1

46.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$11.27 CA$15.76

-3.82%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.46 CA$4.83

13.01%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.49 CA$2.08

40.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.33 CA$1.85

23.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.03

$4.16 CA$5.82

37.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.90

$4.58 CA$6.40

38.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.14 CA$2.99

3.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.90 CA$4.06

-8.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.75 CA$5.25

24.80%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.93

$3.04 CA$4.25

39.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.68

$10.42 CA$14.57

14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.35

$11.60 CA$16.23

13.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.53

$22.09 CA$30.89

-7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$3.63 CA$5.07

12.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.06 CA$1.49

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$4.40 CA$6.16

-12.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$4.55 CA$6.36

-13.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$3.46 CA$4.83

-19.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.30 CA$3.21

23.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.49 CA$3.49

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.47 CA$2.06

8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.19

$11.13 CA$15.57

42.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$10.88 CA$15.21

28.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$3.36 CA$4.70

-23.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.22

$3.16 CA$4.42

-4.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.09 CA$2.92

22.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$49.32 CA$69.0

70.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$2.33 CA$3.25

14.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.84 CA$2.58

-14.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.02

$24.43 CA$34.17

31.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.08 CA$1.51

34.26%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$27.7K CA$38.8K

-0.82%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$22.8K CA$31.8K

-6.30%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$121 CA$169

-31.89%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$39.64 CA$55.4

-5.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.3

$31.75 CA$44.40

62.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.7

$42.49 CA$59.4

-4.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.75

$19.24 CA$26.92

-34.04%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.71

$10.31 CA$14.42

22.79%

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

$1,080 CA$1,510

$823 CA$1,152

31.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$17.0K CA$23.7K

18.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.8

$64.3 CA$90.0

-9.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.69

$37.14 CA$52.0

-8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$86.1 CA$120

12.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$126 CA$177

-22.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,536

$1,209 CA$1,691

49.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,204

$883 CA$1,234

78.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,499

$2,117 CA$2,961

51.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,708

$1,892 CA$2,646

40.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$3,782 CA$5,290

127.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,300

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,221

$2,765 CA$3,868

34.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.99

-14.23%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Stratford, ON: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Stratford, ON

$883 44.3% 44% $693

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Stratford, ON

$385 19.4% 3.8% $15

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Stratford, ON

$258 13% 6.8% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Stratford, ON

$192 9.7% 12.2% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Stratford, ON

$141 7.1% 9.5% $12

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Stratford, ON

$69 3.5% 34% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Stratford, ON

$63 3.2% 4.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,209 in Stratford, ON. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 35% 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: $72 in Vancouver vs $49 in Stratford, ON for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $385 per month, with Stratford, ON cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Stratford, ON

🕒 Local time

03:23 3:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

31,465

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.641 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Stratford, ON 3,260 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Stratford, ON

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 Stratford, ON: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $1,992 in Stratford, ON, so Stratford, ON is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 35% 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 $1,209 in Stratford, ON. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $1,992 in Stratford, ON – Stratford, ON is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Stratford, ON runs roughly 41% less than in Vancouver. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Stratford, ON gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Stratford, ON is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Stratford, ON gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.