Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Windsor, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Windsor, NS: $2,212 a month against $2,725 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
112

Cost of Living Index in Windsor, NS
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Windsor, NS Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,725

/mo nomad

Windsor, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,212

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Vancouver and in Windsor, NS

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,725 in Vancouver versus $2,212 in Windsor, NS.

Vancouver $2,725
Windsor, NS $2,212

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,039 in Vancouver versus $3,268 in Windsor, NS.

Vancouver $4,039
Windsor, NS $3,268

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,352 in Vancouver versus $4,324 in Windsor, NS.

Vancouver $5,352
Windsor, NS $4,324

Living in Vancouver is roughly 23% more expensive than in Windsor, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 100% above, Windsor, NS 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$24.77

$18.93 CA$26.57

-6.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.4 CA$102

$35.52 CA$49.85

103.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.21

$10.82 CA$15.18

0.18%

Cappuccino

$3.91 CA$5.49

$3.65 CA$5.12

7.12%

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

$2.10 CA$2.95

$2.06 CA$2.89

1.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.30

$1.87 CA$2.62

-12.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.06

$4.39 CA$6.16

30.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.36 CA$8.93

$5.59 CA$7.85

13.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CA$3.10

$2.94 CA$4.12

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 CA$3.71

$2.84 CA$3.99

-7.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 CA$6.56

$3.54 CA$4.97

32.20%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.95

$3.74 CA$5.25

13.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.92 CA$16.73

$13.70 CA$19.23

-12.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.12 CA$18.42

$15.31 CA$21.48

-14.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.40 CA$28.63

$13.21 CA$18.54

54.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 CA$5.76

$5.76 CA$8.09

-28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.54 CA$2.17

-10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 CA$5.37

$4.75 CA$6.67

-19.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$5.79 CA$8.13

-32.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 CA$3.89

$2.07 CA$2.91

33.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.84 CA$3.98

$2.15 CA$3.01

32.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$2.49 CA$3.50

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CA$2.24

$2.10 CA$2.95

-24.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.87 CA$22.27

$14.17 CA$19.89

12.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.00 CA$19.64

$14.35 CA$20.13

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.61

$3.27 CA$4.59

-21.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 CA$4.23

$3.94 CA$5.53

-23.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$2.54 CA$3.56

0.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$84.1 CA$118

$64.0 CA$89.8

31.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$2.87 CA$4.03

-6.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.40 CA$1.96

12.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.19 CA$45.17

$21.04 CA$29.52

52.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$1.22 CA$1.71

18.85%

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

$27.5K CA$38.6K

$26.7K CA$37.5K

2.82%

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

$21.3K CA$29.9K

0.18%

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

$82.5 CA$116

$125 CA$176

-34.27%

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

$37.46 CA$52.6

$31.80 CA$44.63

17.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$72.5

$36.09 CA$50.6

43.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 CA$56.9

$36.05 CA$50.6

12.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.69 CA$17.81

$17.45 CA$24.49

-27.28%

Cinema Ticket

$12.66 CA$17.77

$12.92 CA$18.14

-2.01%

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

$1,080 CA$1,515

$379 CA$531

185.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.1K CA$28.3K

$13.7K CA$19.3K

46.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 CA$82.0

$59.9 CA$84.1

-2.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.10 CA$47.85

$35.29 CA$49.52

-3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 CA$136

$103 CA$145

-6.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.4 CA$137

$117 CA$165

-16.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 CA$2,545

$1,265 CA$1,775

43.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 CA$2,211

$1,025 CA$1,438

53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,217 CA$4,514

$1,834 CA$2,573

75.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,651 CA$3,721

$1,749 CA$2,454

51.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,590 CA$12.1K

$4,604 CA$6,461

86.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,649 CA$9,331

$3,447 CA$4,838

92.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,733 CA$5,239

$940 CA$1,320

297.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

4.6

-6.96%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 27, 2026

Last update for Windsor, NS: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.6K 57.8%

Windsor, NS

$1K 46.3% 35% $551

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$401 14.7%

Windsor, NS

$429 19.4% 7% $28

Eating Out

Vancouver

$277 10.2%

Windsor, NS

$277 12.5% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$172 6.3%

Windsor, NS

$193 8.7% 12.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$129 4.7%

Windsor, NS

$142 6.4% 10% $13

Getting Around

Vancouver

$105 3.9%

Windsor, NS

$84 3.8% 19.9% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$66 2.4%

Windsor, NS

$62 2.8% 6% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,813 in Vancouver and $1,265 in Windsor, NS. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $72 in Vancouver vs $36 in Windsor, NS. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $429, with Vancouver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇨🇦 Windsor, NS

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

15:41 3:41 PM

4 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

217,188

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Vancouver Windsor, NS 4,370 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Vancouver
Windsor, NS

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, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Windsor, NS differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,725 vs $2,212 including rent). Windsor, NS is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Vancouver is about 4 times higher, 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: $1,813 in Vancouver versus $1,265 in Windsor, NS. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Windsor, NS – a meal for two runs $36 versus $72 in Vancouver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,725 per month in Vancouver versus $2,212 in Windsor, NS – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Windsor, NS gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Windsor, NS is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Vancouver, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Windsor, NS wins on affordability, Vancouver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.