Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Victoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Victoria: $267 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $28,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Victoria

🇬🇩 Grenada

$267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Victoria

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $267 in Victoria.

Vancouver $2,626
Victoria $267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $442 in Victoria.

Vancouver $3,841
Victoria $442

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $616 in Victoria.

Vancouver $5,056
Victoria $616

Living in Vancouver is roughly 883% more expensive than in Victoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Vancouver is 95% above, Victoria is 80% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$6.40 EC$17.29

-66.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.03 EC$2.79

143.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$1.67 EC$4.50

168.86%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.80 EC$10.26

7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$8.01 EC$21.63

46.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$4.49 EC$12.12

191.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$4.41 EC$11.90

342.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.59 EC$4.29

-13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$6.37 EC$17.21

-37.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$2.43 EC$6.55

11.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.43 EC$6.57

17.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.83 EC$4.95

34.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$1.88 EC$5.07

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$7.32 EC$19.76

87.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.89 EC$5.09

39.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$1.83 EC$4.94

57.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

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

$82.5 CA$117

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Victoria: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Victoria

–

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Victoria

–

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Victoria

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Victoria

–

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Victoria

–

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Victoria

–

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Victoria

–

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇬🇩 Victoria

🕒 Local time

16:42 4:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

2,256

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XCD, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Vancouver Victoria 6,920 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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Victoria

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 Victoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Victoria differ by about 883% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $267 including rent). Victoria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,939 in Vancouver and $401 in Victoria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,626 per month in Vancouver versus $267 in Victoria – a 883% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $267 in Victoria versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Victoria but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Victoria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Vancouver and Victoria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Victoria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 883% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.