Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Sydney, NS: $1,614 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $1,614 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Sydney, NS $1,614

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $2,535 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Sydney, NS $2,535

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $3,456 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Sydney, NS $3,456

Vancouver costs about 65% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Sydney, NS sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Sydney, NS by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$11.13 CA$15.74

61.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$62.3 CA$88.0

14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$7.16 CA$10.12

51.26%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$2.87 CA$4.06

37.28%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.33 CA$3.30

-8.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$2.07 CA$2.92

-19.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.56 CA$3.61

-0.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$2.41 CA$3.41

89.21%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.32 CA$4.69

22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$6.27 CA$8.87

93.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$8.23 CA$11.63

60.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$12.99 CA$18.36

55.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$7.01 CA$9.91

-42.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.16 CA$1.63

22.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$1.38 CA$1.95

183.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$0.84 CA$1.18

214.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$1.90 CA$2.68

48.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$6.30 CA$8.90

-60.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$17.78 CA$25.14

-13.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.18 CA$5.92

-30.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$1.08 CA$1.53

136.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$48.48 CA$68.5

74.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$4.15 CA$5.87

-36.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.20 CA$1.70

18.33%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$25.7K CA$36.4K

5.29%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$19.1K CA$27.1K

12.82%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$86.3 CA$122

-5.74%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$36.04 CA$51.0

3.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$73.3 CA$104

-28.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$49.94 CA$70.6

-11.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$3.45 CA$4.88

258.55%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$7.04 CA$9.96

79.26%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$721 CA$1,020

51.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$68.1 CA$96.3

-14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$67.2 CA$95.1

-50.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$99.7 CA$141

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$105 CA$148

-8.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$893 CA$1,262

97.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$724 CA$1,024

108.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,753 CA$2,479

78.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,374 CA$1,943

79.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$2,527 CA$3,573

42.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

5.8

-26.21%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Sydney, NS

$724 44.9% 52% $784

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Sydney, NS

$258 * 16% 35.4% $141

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Sydney, NS

$163 * 10.1% 42% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Sydney, NS

$196 12.1% 14.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Sydney, NS

$153 9.5% 19.9% $25

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 46% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Sydney, NS

$64 4% 8% $5.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,765 in Vancouver versus $893 in Sydney, NS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 42% higher in Vancouver, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver versus $62.0 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $258 – making Sydney, NS the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

21:57 9:57 PM

01:57 1:57 AM

4 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

30,960

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Vancouver Sydney, NS 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Vancouver vs Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 65% more than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,992 per month in Vancouver and $2,421 in Sydney, NS. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sydney, NS, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,662 in Vancouver and $1,614 in Sydney, NS. That's a gap of about 65%.

Public transport costs about 74% less in Sydney, NS. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sydney, NS, where all-in costs run around $1,614, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Sydney, NS it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sydney, NS – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sydney, NS. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.