Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Thompson

For one person, living is cheaper in Thompson: $1,806 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Thompson
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Thompson Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Thompson

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Thompson

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

A single person spends $2,725 per month in Vancouver vs $1,806 in Thompson, rent included.

Vancouver $2,725
Thompson $1,806

A couple spends around $4,039 per month in Vancouver vs $2,737 in Thompson, rent included.

Vancouver $4,039
Thompson $2,737

A family of three spends $5,352 per month in Vancouver vs $3,669 in Thompson, rent included.

Vancouver $5,352
Thompson $3,669

Vancouver costs about 51% more than Thompson, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Vancouver and Thompson sit above the global median – Vancouver by 100%, Thompson by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.68

$18.00 CA$25.18

-1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$101

$64.4 CA$90.1

12.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.16

$10.52 CA$14.71

3.04%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.47

$3.72 CA$5.20

5.11%

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

$2.10 CA$2.94

$1.97 CA$2.76

6.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.29

$1.60 CA$2.24

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.03

$5.16 CA$7.22

11.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.90

$5.75 CA$8.04

10.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.09

$2.09 CA$2.93

5.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.70

$2.56 CA$3.58

3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.54

$3.51 CA$4.91

33.33%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.93

$3.49 CA$4.88

21.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.68

$10.29 CA$14.40

15.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.35

$11.63 CA$16.27

12.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.53

$14.89 CA$20.82

37.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.74

$3.93 CA$5.50

4.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.37 CA$1.91

0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.36

$3.98 CA$5.56

-3.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.48

$3.82 CA$5.34

2.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.88

$2.35 CA$3.29

17.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$2.21 CA$3.09

28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.49 CA$3.48

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.23

$1.66 CA$2.32

-4.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.19

$14.00 CA$19.58

13.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.58

$12.62 CA$17.65

10.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.60

$2.83 CA$3.96

-9.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.22

$3.18 CA$4.44

-5.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$2.30 CA$3.22

10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$66.9 CA$93.5

25.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.73

$3.01 CA$4.21

-11.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.38 CA$1.93

14.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.02

$23.88 CA$33.39

34.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.10 CA$1.54

31.82%

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

$27.5K CA$38.4K

$28.2K CA$39.4K

-2.52%

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

$21.3K CA$29.8K

$23.6K CA$33.0K

-9.57%

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

$82.5 CA$115

$136 CA$191

-39.49%

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

$37.46 CA$52.4

$39.10 CA$54.7

-4.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.3

$54.9 CA$76.8

-5.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.7

$37.46 CA$52.4

8.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.75

$17.81 CA$24.91

-28.75%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.71

$10.46 CA$14.63

21.03%

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

$1,080 CA$1,510

$664 CA$928

62.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$11.4K CA$16.0K

76.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$81.8

$54.4 CA$76.1

7.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.69

$39.02 CA$54.6

-12.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$87.4 CA$122

10.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$136

$103 CA$144

-5.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,536

$687 CA$961

163.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,204

$674 CA$942

133.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,499

$1,109 CA$1,551

190.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,708

$1,114 CA$1,558

138.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.0K

$4,361 CA$6,100

96.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,300

$3,358 CA$4,697

98.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,221

$1,567 CA$2,192

138.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.68

-8.55%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Thompson: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Thompson

$674 37.3% 57.2% $902

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Thompson

$358 19.8% 10.6% $43

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Thompson

$272 15.1% 1.9% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Thompson

$230 12.8% 34.2% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Thompson

$128 7.1% 1.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Thompson

$86 4.8% 18% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Thompson

$58 3.2% 11.4% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,813 in Vancouver versus $687 in Thompson. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Vancouver are about 2.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver versus $64 in Thompson. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $401 vs $358 – making Thompson the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Thompson

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

08:04 8:04 AM

2 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

12,829

💱 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

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Between locations

Vancouver Thompson 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Thompson

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 Thompson: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 51% more than Thompson, 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 $4,087 per month in Vancouver and $2,709 in Thompson. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Thompson, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $687 there versus $1,813 in Vancouver.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $72 in Vancouver and $64 in Thompson. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,725 in Vancouver and $1,806 in Thompson. That makes Thompson about 34% cheaper.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Thompson, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Vancouver at $2,725. In Thompson it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Thompson – 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 Thompson. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Vancouver makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.