Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Wilmington, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Vancouver and in Wilmington, NC: $2,684 and $2,773 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
135

Cost of Living Index in Wilmington, NC
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Wilmington, NC Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,684

/mo nomad

Wilmington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Wilmington, NC

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,684 in Vancouver versus $2,773 in Wilmington, NC.

Vancouver $2,684
Wilmington, NC $2,773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,878 in Vancouver versus $4,103 in Wilmington, NC.

Vancouver $3,878
Wilmington, NC $4,103

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,072 in Vancouver versus $5,433 in Wilmington, NC.

Vancouver $5,072
Wilmington, NC $5,433

Living in Vancouver costs roughly 3% less than in Wilmington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Wilmington, NC 107% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 CA$24.66

$15.12 $15.12

14.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 CA$98.3

$78.9 $78.9

-12.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 CA$15.05

$11.20 $11.20

-5.71%

Cappuccino

$3.89 CA$5.54

$5.57 $5.57

-30.16%

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

$2.05 CA$2.93

$2.60 $2.60

-21.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$2.47 $2.47

-34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.90

$4.87 $4.87

13.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 CA$9.02

$7.03 $7.03

-9.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.31 CA$3.30

$0.98 $0.98

135.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 CA$3.56

$4.03 $4.03

-37.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.44 CA$6.33

$6.02 $6.02

-26.25%

Eggs

$4.07 CA$5.80

$5.11 $5.11

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 CA$16.08

$11.52 $11.52

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.42 CA$19.13

$14.78 $14.78

-9.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.10 CA$28.65

$24.91 $24.91

-19.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.06 CA$5.78

$6.55 $6.55

-38.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.79 $1.79

-25.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.57

$6.95 $6.95

-43.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.78

$6.15 $6.15

-34.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.88

$4.08 $4.08

-33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 CA$4.12

$6.09 $6.09

-52.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 CA$3.61

$2.31 $2.31

9.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$3.14 $3.14

-48.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.57 CA$22.19

$8.07 $8.07

92.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 CA$20.03

$14.60 $14.60

-3.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 CA$3.83

$2.04 $2.04

31.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 CA$4.26

$5.94 $5.94

-49.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.44 CA$3.48

$2.56 $2.56

-4.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.4 CA$119

$80.4 $80.4

3.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 CA$3.87

$7.04 $7.04

-61.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 CA$2.24

$1.82 $1.82

-13.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.39 CA$44.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$1.00 $1.00

38.00%

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

$28.1K CA$40.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-22.32%

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

$19.8K CA$28.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

-22.30%

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

$81.2 CA$116

$283 $283

-71.33%

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

$37.45 CA$53.4

$56.3 $56.3

-33.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 CA$73.2

$74.6 $74.6

-31.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.47 CA$62.0

$68.3 $68.3

-36.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.53 CA$17.86

$3.89 $3.89

222.11%

Cinema Ticket

$12.54 CA$17.88

$14.79 $14.79

-15.21%

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

$1,094 CA$1,560

$1,295 $1,295

-15.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.9K CA$28.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 CA$81.3

$69.8 $69.8

-18.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 CA$46.66

$42.04 $42.04

-22.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 CA$132

$101 $101

-8.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 CA$134

$71.0 $71.0

32.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,745 CA$2,488

$1,553 $1,553

12.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 CA$2,115

$1,255 $1,255

18.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,998 CA$4,273

$2,303 $2,303

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,422 CA$3,453

$2,056 $2,056

17.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,002 CA$11.4K

$2,811 $2,811

184.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,457 CA$9,204

$2,688 $2,688

140.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,799 CA$5,416

$3,942 $3,942

-3.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

6.57

-34.86%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 3, 2026

Last update for Wilmington, NC: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.6%

Wilmington, NC

$1.3K 45.1% 15.4% $229

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15.2%

Wilmington, NC

$503 18.1% 26.1% $104

Eating Out

Vancouver

$272 10.4%

Wilmington, NC

$280 10.1% 3% $8.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$170 6.5%

Wilmington, NC

$414 14.9% 144% $244

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$124 4.8%

Wilmington, NC

$128 4.6% 2.7% $3.4

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 4%

Wilmington, NC

$107 3.8% 3% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$69 2.6%

Wilmington, NC

$98 3.5% 42.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,745 in Vancouver and $1,553 in Wilmington, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wilmington, NC pays 4% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $79.0 in Wilmington, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $503 per month, with Vancouver cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇺🇸 Wilmington, NC

🕒 Local time

19:44 7:44 PM

22:44 10:44 PM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

72,826

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Vancouver Wilmington, NC 4,030 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 Wilmington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Wilmington, NC differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,684 vs $2,773 including rent). Vancouver is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Wilmington, NC. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,745 in Vancouver versus $1,553 in Wilmington, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Vancouver – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $79.0 in Wilmington, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,684 per month in Vancouver versus $2,773 in Wilmington, NC – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Vancouver is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Vancouver gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Wilmington, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.