Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Windsor

For one person, living is cheaper in Windsor: $2,263 a month against $2,662 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
Learn more

Vancouver Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Windsor
Learn more

Windsor Living Index

Jump to prices

Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,662

/mo nomad

Windsor

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Windsor

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,662 in Vancouver versus $2,263 in Windsor.

Vancouver $2,662
Windsor $2,263

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,916 in Vancouver versus $3,120 in Windsor.

Vancouver $3,916
Windsor $3,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,170 in Vancouver versus $3,978 in Windsor.

Vancouver $5,170
Windsor $3,978

Living in Vancouver is roughly 18% more expensive than in Windsor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 96% above, Windsor 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 CA$25.46

$14.12 CA$19.96

27.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.0 CA$100

$63.6 CA$89.9

11.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 CA$15.31

$10.45 CA$14.78

3.64%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.56

$3.46 CA$4.89

13.87%

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

$2.13 CA$3.01

$2.59 CA$3.66

-17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.34

$1.72 CA$2.44

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 CA$8.10

$5.10 CA$7.21

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.40 CA$9.04

$5.98 CA$8.46

7.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.15 CA$3.04

$1.75 CA$2.48

22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.61

$2.12 CA$3.00

20.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 CA$6.45

$3.07 CA$4.34

48.53%

Eggs

$4.06 CA$5.74

$2.86 CA$4.05

41.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.14 CA$17.17

$10.21 CA$14.43

18.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.23 CA$18.71

$10.37 CA$14.66

27.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.24 CA$28.62

$14.36 CA$20.30

40.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 CA$5.73

$3.89 CA$5.50

4.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 CA$2.00

$0.99 CA$1.40

43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 CA$5.62

$3.08 CA$4.36

28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.53

$3.63 CA$5.13

7.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.74

$2.00 CA$2.83

32.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 CA$3.98

$2.20 CA$3.11

28.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.24 CA$3.17

10.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$1.32 CA$1.86

20.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.30 CA$21.64

$12.86 CA$18.19

18.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 CA$20.24

$11.76 CA$16.63

21.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.91 CA$2.70

34.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$3.32 CA$4.69

-12.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.60

$2.69 CA$3.81

-5.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.6 CA$120

$87.3 CA$123

-3.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 CA$3.73

$2.28 CA$3.22

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.02 CA$1.44

59.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.77 CA$44.91

$14.27 CA$20.18

122.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CA$2.01

$1.19 CA$1.69

19.33%

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

$27.1K CA$38.3K

$26.7K CA$37.8K

1.49%

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

$21.6K CA$30.5K

$21.7K CA$30.6K

-0.33%

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

$81.3 CA$115

$184 CA$260

-55.72%

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

$37.20 CA$52.6

$37.76 CA$53.4

-1.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.6 CA$74.4

$55.3 CA$78.2

-4.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.34 CA$62.7

$44.83 CA$63.4

-1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.37 CA$17.49

$28.59 CA$40.42

-56.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 CA$17.85

$10.60 CA$14.98

19.06%

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

$1,093 CA$1,544

$491 CA$695

122.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K CA$28.2K

$4,278 CA$6,048

366.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.7

$44.21 CA$62.5

32.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.35 CA$47.14

$33.24 CA$47.00

0.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 CA$136

$81.5 CA$115

18.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 CA$135

$80.7 CA$114

18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 CA$2,495

$1,171 CA$1,655

50.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 CA$2,132

$1,147 CA$1,622

31.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,122 CA$4,414

$1,803 CA$2,549

73.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 CA$3,490

$1,516 CA$2,144

62.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,173 CA$11.6K

$2,964 CA$4,191

175.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,354 CA$8,982

$2,973 CA$4,203

113.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,592 CA$5,078

$3,117 CA$4,406

15.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.71

-9.13%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 17, 2026

Last update for Windsor: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 56.7%

Windsor

$1.1K 50.7% 23.9% $361

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$399 15%

Windsor

$319 14.1% 20.1% $80

Eating Out

Vancouver

$280 10.5%

Windsor

$241 10.6% 14.2% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.4%

Windsor

$277 12.2% 61.7% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$128 4.8%

Windsor

$108 4.8% 15.5% $20

Getting Around

Vancouver

$106 4%

Windsor

$105 4.7% 0.1% $0.1

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$70 2.6%

Windsor

$66 2.9% 5.1% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Vancouver and $1,171 in Windsor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 15% 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: $71.0 in Vancouver vs $64.0 in Windsor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $319 per month, with Windsor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Windsor

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

08:30 8:30 AM

3 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

217,188

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Vancouver Windsor 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Windsor

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 Windsor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Windsor differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,662 vs $2,263 including rent). Windsor is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Vancouver, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Vancouver versus $1,171 in Windsor. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Windsor – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $71.0 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,662 per month in Vancouver versus $2,263 in Windsor – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,263 in Windsor versus $2,662 in Vancouver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Windsor but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Windsor 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.

Expats usually find Windsor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.