Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Union, SC: $2,296 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Union, SC

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

A single person spends $2,662 per month in Vancouver vs $2,296 in Union, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $2,662
Union, SC $2,296

A couple spends around $3,916 per month in Vancouver vs $3,597 in Union, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $3,916
Union, SC $3,597

A family of three spends $5,170 per month in Vancouver vs $4,897 in Union, SC, rent included.

Vancouver $5,170
Union, SC $4,897

Vancouver costs about 16% more than Union, SC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Vancouver and Union, SC sit above the global median – Vancouver by 96%, Union, SC by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$9.15 $9.15

96.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$99.0 $99.0

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$8.51 $8.51

27.26%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$5.98 $5.98

-34.11%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.33 $2.33

-8.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.94 $1.94

-14.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$2.80 $2.80

104.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$3.42 $3.42

87.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.07 $1.07

100.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$3.26 $3.26

-21.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$2.45 $2.45

86.12%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$3.30 $3.30

23.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$8.96 $8.96

35.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$13.31 $13.31

-0.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$14.71 $14.71

37.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$2.81 $2.81

44.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$1.31 $1.31

8.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.24 $3.24

22.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$4.44 $4.44

-11.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.37 $2.37

11.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.12 $2.12

33.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$1.75 $1.75

41.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.29 $1.29

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$8.35 $8.35

83.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$8.75 $8.75

63.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.79 $1.79

43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$5.16 $5.16

-43.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.09 $2.09

22.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$4.62 $4.62

-42.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$3.02 $3.02

-46.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$34.96 $34.96

-9.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$0.91 $0.91

56.04%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$28.0K $28.0K

-3.10%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$25.2K $25.2K

-14.40%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$177 $177

-54.06%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$64.9 $64.9

-42.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$45.72 $45.72

15.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$41.73 $41.73

6.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$13.17 $13.17

-4.18%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$2,585 $2,585

-57.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$23.0K $23.0K

-13.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$47.21 $47.21

23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$20.96 $20.96

59.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$85.6 $85.6

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$99.0 $99.0

-3.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,390 $1,390

26.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,259 $1,259

19.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$2,203 $2,203

41.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$2,419 $2,419

2.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,700 $2,700

202.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,125 $2,125

198.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$2,496 $2,496

43.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

7.00%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Union, SC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Union, SC

$1.3K 54.8% 16.5% $250

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Union, SC

$332 14.4% 16.9% $67

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Union, SC

$208 9.1% 25.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Union, SC

$288 12.5% 68.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Union, SC

$114 5% 10.9% $14

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Union, SC

$28 * 1.2% 73.4% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Union, SC

$68 3% 2.2% $1.5

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 $1,390 in Union, SC. 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 44% 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 $99.0 in Union, SC. Groceries tell a different story – $399 in Vancouver vs $332 in Union, SC – so Union, SC wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

03:54 3:54 AM

06:54 6:54 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

8,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Vancouver Union, SC 3,730 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Union, SC

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 Union, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver costs about 16% more than Union, SC, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. 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 $3,444 in Union, SC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Vancouver and $99.0 in Union, SC. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 20% more in Vancouver, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Union, SC, where all-in costs run around $2,296, than in Vancouver at $2,662. In Union, SC it covers expenses comfortably, while in Vancouver it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Union, SC – 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 Union, SC. 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.